For Survivors & their Families
If you are in immediate danger, and feel comfortable involving law enforcement, please call 911.
The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline provides free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages. Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224, or chat online at TheHotline.org. (Please note that wait times may vary during certain hours.)
The StrongHearts Native Helpline is a free, safe, anonymous, and confidential domestic violence and dating violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, offering culturally-appropriate support and advocacy. Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) or chat online at StrongHeartsHelpline.org.
If you are outside the United States, Lila.Help lists gender-based violence helplines and NGOs for almost every country in the world.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and assaultive behaviors that one former or current intimate partner uses against the other.
- Learn more about the forms of domestic violence
- Learn more about the statistics related to domestic violence
- Learn more about what to do if you think you are being abused
Who Commits Domestic Violence and Why?
People who abuse have a need to gain and maintain all of the power and control in the relationship. Abusers come from all walks of life but have common characteristics:
- Insecure
- Emotionally dependent
- Excessively jealous
- Manipulative
- Can be very charming and then suddenly angry and violent
- Frequently described as being like “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
- Abusive behaviors are chosen to maintain power and control
- Will tell the victim that the victim caused the abuse or that the victim is “crazy”
More Information
- Learn more about the forms of abuse
- Learn more about what to do if you are being abused
- Learn more about internet and computer safety