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Domestic Violence Resources Directory
If you’re struggling to cope in an abusive relationship, you’re not alone. Experts estimate that over 10 million Americans are affected by domestic violence every year. Whether it’s physical or verbal abuse, it’s not OK, and you can take action to stop it. These vetted helplines are here for you.
The Office on Women’s Health
Domestic Violence Resource
How We Help:The Office on Women's Health provides national leadership and coordination to improve the health of women and girls through policy, education and model programs.
History:
OWH in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was established in 1991 to improve the health of American women ... by advancing and coordinating a comprehensive women's health agenda throughout HHS to address health care prevention and service delivery, research, public and health care professional education, and career advancement for women in the health professions and in scientific careers. OWH also works with numerous government agencies, non-profit organizations, consumer groups, and associations of health care professionals. During the early 1990's, OWH focused on developing women's health as a specialized issue for government action and attention. With women's health now firmly rooted in the national health landscape, OWH is focusing on women's health priorities to meet the sweeping demographic trends of the next century and to focus on the millions of underserved women in America.Read More »
How We Help:Break the Cycle inspires and supports young people to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse.
History:
Break the Cycle was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1996. While there were a lot of services for children experiencing ...abuse by adults and for adults in peer-to-peer abusive relationships, there was a gap in services for young people experiencing abuse in dating relationships. We began to fill that gap by creating teen-specific violence prevention education and providing legal services for youth. In 2004, Break the Cycle expanded nationally in response to the need for dating abuse services and programs. Break the Cycle now has staff in Los Angeles, California and the District of Columbia, along with partners, volunteers and supporters across the nation.Read More »
How We Help:TeenDVmonth.org, hosted by Break the Cycle, is the online hub for promotion of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month in February.
History:
TeenDVmonth.org offers resources for youth, adults and communities that want to get involved and learn more about dating abus ...e prevention and awareness this February.
The repercussions of teen dating violence are impossible to ignore — they hurt not just the young people victimized but also their families, friends, schools and communities. Throughout February, organizations and individuals nationwide are coming together to highlight the need to educate young people about dating violence, teach healthy relationship skills and prevent the devastating cycle of abuse. With their adult allies, youth activists achieved a major victory in 2005 and 2013 when the importance of addressing teen dating abuse was highlighted in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Both Chambers of Congress have declared the entire month of February to teen dating violence awareness and prevention.Read More »
How We Help:WomensLaw.org provides free online information about laws related to domestic violence for all U.S. states and territories and an Email Hotline with information and support for those who need it. To find out more, visit WomensLaw.org.
History:
WomensLaw.org was founded in February 2000 by Elizabeth Martin with the help of a group of lawyers, teachers, advocates and w ...eb designers who were interested in seeing the power of the Internet help survivors of domestic violence. In 2001, the WomensLaw.org website was launched to provide state-specific legal information and resources for survivors of domestic violence. In 2002, WomensLaw.org added a confidential Email Hotline to offer direct support to survivors, their advocates, friends and family members. Today more than 1.4 million unique users visit the website annually, and WomensLaw.org provides referrals and information to more than 3,000 individuals through the Email Hotline.
To expand our reach even further, in 2010 WomensLaw.org merged with and became a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), a social change organization dedicated to creating a social, political and economic environment in which violence against women no longer exists. As a project of NNEDV, WomensLaw.org is positioned to help even more survivors while also increasing assistance for the professionals who help them. Learn more about WomensLaw.org and other NNEDV projects on the NNEDV website.
WomensLaw.org has received several awards including The Sunshine Lady Foundation Peace Award (2004), The Mary S. Byron Celebrating Solutions Award (2005) and a Webby Award — Jury Prize for Best Website in the Law Category (2009). Read More »
How We Help:Domestic violence should not happen to anybody. Ever. Period. But it does - and when it does, there is help. Maybe you have lived with abuse, maybe it happened just once; maybe you work or live next to someone who is being abused right now. Whoever you are, this book can show you how and where to get help.
History:
This project came to our attention when Judge Edward Sosnick, a circuit court judge in Oakland County, Michigan, asked if we ...would help with a layout for the printed handbook. Naturally, we were happy to help.
It didn't take long to realize the importance of this frightening social problem. It was impossible to read this book and not want to help. This website is our way of contributing. Hopefully, you may never need it..... but there are lots of people who do. Please pass it on. Please join the fight to stop domestic violence.
The Domestic Violence Handbook was created through the efforts of the Oakland County Coordinating Council Against Domestic Violence. The printed version has been funded by grants from The Michigan Department of Community Health: Violence Prevention Program, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, The Detroit Edison Foundation , The Oakland County Circuit Court, and the Target Corporation .Read More »
The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education
Domestic Violence Resource
How We Help:Our advocates are available 24-hours a day/7 days a week, to meet clients at the hospitals and police stations to aid in the evidence collection examination, help making a police statement, or talk to family members.
History:
Serving the eight towns of lower Fairfield County since 1979, The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education p ...rovides free, 24-hour confidential help to men, women and children who have experienced sexual assault. We can be there from the time the victim enters the emergency room, throughout making a police statement, preliminary court proceedings to trial. We can also be with the victims as the healing takes place, delivering goal-oriented counseling. Learn more about why victims/survivors choose The Center when they need help.
Additionally, The Center provides age-appropriate personal safety classes for children ages 4-18 to reduce their risk of becoming a victim, and education/awareness programs for the community at large.
The Center supports eight town/cities in Lower Fairfield County including: Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport, and Wilton. And, all of our services are available in English and Spanish.Read More »
For Men, For Women, For LGBT, For Children/Teens, For Elders, Rape Crisis Centers, Legal Help
Location
Stamford, CT
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National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Domestic Violence Resource
How We Help:The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) works to ensure justice for every family and every child in every court throughout this country.
History:
One of the largest and oldest judicial membership organizations in the nation, the NCJFCJ serves an estimated 30,000 professi ...onals in the juvenile and family justice system including judges, referees, commissioners, court masters and administrators, social and mental health workers, police, and probation officers.
For those involved with juvenile, family, and domestic violence cases, the NCJFCJ provides the resources, knowledge, and training to improve the lives of families and children seeking justice. The NCJFCJ resources include:
Cutting-edge training
Wide-ranging technical assistance
Research to assist family courts
Unique advanced degree programs for judges and other court professionals offered in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Reno and the National Judicial College
Current major NCJFCJ initiatives:
Child Victims Act Model Courts Project – a network of 36 Model Courts that serve as models and mentors to jurisdictions nationwide
Juvenile Justice Model Courts – a network of 12 courts that seek to improve practice in delinquency cases through implementation of the Juvenile Delinquency Guidelines
Juvenile Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Project – working in collaboration with Office of Justice Programs to help juvenile drug courts implement or enhance their juvenile drug courts
National Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues – a partnership between NCJFCJ, the American Bar Association and the National Center for State Courts that delivers critical training and technical assistance to jurisdictions around the country, including NCJFCJ’s foundational judicial leadership curriculum and training evaluation guide and toolboxes
Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody (RCDV: CPC) – provides technical assistance, training, specialized resources, and policy development to a multi-disciplinary audience on child protection and child custody issues in the context of domestic violence; funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and one of 12 partners in the Domestic Violence Resource Network
National Center for Juvenile Justice – NCJFCJ's research division, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., is the country's only non-profit research organization dedicated to the juvenile justice system
National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence (NJIDV) – a partnership between the NCJFCJ, Futures Without Violence, and the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, provides highly interactive, skills-based domestic violence workshops for judges and judicial officers nationwide. The NJIDV has developed a continuum of judicial education that currently includes the Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases (EJS) Workshop, Continuing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases (CJS) Program, Enhancing Judicial Skills in Elder Abuse Cases Workshop, Faculty Development, and Technical Assistance for state and regional adaptation and replication of NJIDV programs.
During the past eight decades, the NCJFCJ has grown and evolved to meet the changing needs of our society. However, the organization’s mission has remained unchanged: to continuously improve the family court system and court practices and to raise awareness of the core issues that touch the lives of our nation's children and families.
A non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, the NCJFCJ relies on funding from federal and state grants, private foundations, and generous members and donors. Read More »
How We Help:The Roundtable is a community based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting safe and healthy relationships, raising public awareness about abusive and controlling behaviors whether exhibited through bullying, teen dating violence, domestic violence, or elder abuse, and ending relationship violence in all its forms.
History:
We are working toward the day when no person in our communities is in fear of another. This means: No person in a committed r ...elationship is threatening his or her spouse or partner with psychological or physical abuse. No parent or caretaker is abusing a child. No child is bullying other children at home or in school. No caretaker or spouse is abusing an elderly person. No person is using violence, or threats of violence, to achieve his or her ends. No person in a dating relationship is using fear to control the relationship. No employer is tolerating the sexual or physical harassment of employees. The day when a victim of abuse, or a person who cares compassionately about an abused person can easily find help from sources that respect privacy. The day when our communities are fully mobilized to eradicate interpersonal abuse. This means: Providers of help to victims of abuse are making their services known, are easy to reach, and are appropriately responsive. Doctors and other professionals serving the citizens of our communities are trained to recognize the symptoms of abuse and to make appropriate referrals. Our police are trained to recognize situations in which interpersonal abuse is a factor and to deal with such situations sensitively and effectively. The legal systems in which victims of abuse seek protection and justice are compassionate in the administration of the law. Our schools are proactive in eradicating bullying and teen dating violence. Our faith communities are speaking out against interpersonal abuse and are integrating help for abuse victims into their ministries. Our town governments support the goal of eradicating inter-personal abuse through personal commitments by town officials and by seeking adequate funding for our social service agencies and for community education about interpersonal abuse. The news media serving our communities voluntarily play an active role in educating the public about the reality of inter-personal abuse as a social issue and are providing information about resources for abuse victims. The day when we will be able to offer our assistance to neighboring communities that seek model programs that have been proven effective in our own experience. The day when our communities have zero tolerance for domestic violence. Read More »
How We Help:Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that was launched in 2002 as part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the prevalence of child sexual abuse.
History:
Stop the Silence began in 2002 as a coalition of multi-ethnic and state groups that came together to comprehensively address ...child sexual abuse. Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH, an international health and development specialist, launched programming to address the pandemic and the critical need for a comprehensive response for this very complex issue. In 2003, as a result of an obvious lack of funding and awareness on the part of the public and policymakers alike, Dr. Pine conducted research with the University of Maryland’s Department of Communication to better understand what the public knew about child sexual abuse and what would motivate them to action. Drawing on that research, the annual, national (now international) Race to Stop the Silence was born in 2004. This event generated forward movement of the organization. A grant from DHHS for a comprehensive child sexual abuse focus in Maryland followed.
Pamela Pine organized Stop the Silence into a nonprofit organization in 2004 given the need for a structure from which to provide adequate, essential, and comprehensive programming. Activities include research, media advocacy, training, community outreach and education, policy development, and support for direct services. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, with Dr. Pine serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Founder. Funding levels continue to grow steadily from various foundations, (e.g. Ford Foundation), private donations (e.g. made possible by the Schwab Charitable Fund), government organizations (Department of Justice), corporations (e.g. Pepsi Bottling Group), and private individuals, and now stands at approximately $350,000 per year. Stop the Silence functions with a small staff, low overhead, and a passionate team of volunteers, the total for which varies from four to 150, depending upon the time of year and ongoing projects.
Stop the Silence has proven its drive and capabilities and plans to push forward on all fronts to ensure that children are protected and that survivors get the help they need to thrive.Read More »
How We Help:The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc. (NIWRC) is a Native nonprofit organization that was created specifically to serve as the National Indian Resource Center (NIRC) Addressing Domestic Violence and Safety for Indian Women.
History:
The NIWRC, through its Board of Directors and staff, have the demonstrated and unique expertise to serve as the next National ... Indian Resource Center. Our Board consists of Native women from throughout the United States with extensive experience and commitment to providing technical assistance/training and resource information regarding violence committed against Native women and their children. This leadership will ensure that our work supports and upholds grassroots advocacy and policy development work to address these crimes. Further, the NIWRC’s staff brings decades of expertise, regarding violence against Native women, each of us having worked in various capacities to build a strong grassroots movement to increase the response within tribes to domestic violence and safety for Indian.
The NIWRC is dedicated to reclaiming the sovereignty of Native nations and safeguarding Native women and their children. Through public awareness and resource development, training and technical assistance, policy development, and research activities, we will provide leadership across the Nation to show that offenders can and will be held accountable and that Native women and their children are entitled to: 1) safety from violence within their homes and in their community; 2) justice both on and off tribal lands; and 3) access to services designed by and for Native women based on their tribal beliefs and practices.Read More »
