The National Domestic Violence Hotline

The National Domestic Violence Hotline was established in 1996 as a component of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed by Congress. The Hotline is a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention, information and referral to victims of domestic violence, perpetrators, friends and families.The Hotline answers a variety of calls and is a resource for domestic violence advocates government officials, law enforcement agencies and the general public.

The Hotline serves as the only domestic violence hotline in the nation with access to more than 5,000 shelters and domestic violence programs across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Advocates receive approximately 21,000 calls each month. The Hotline is toll-free at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224 and it's confidential and anonymous. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in more than 170 different languages through interpreter services, with a TTY line available for the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing. The staff at the Hotline and the Texas Council on Family Violence is also available to provide assistance and guidance in a variety of areas including media, public relations, fundraising, public policy, legal advocacy and public education and training.

Hotline Services Include:

• Crisis intervention, safety planning, information about domestic violence and referrals to local service providers
• Direct connection to domestic violence resources available in the caller’s area provided by a Hotline advocate
• Assistance in both English and Spanish with Hotline advocates having access to more than 170 different languages through interpreter services
• Assistance through e-mail on the contact page
• Informational materials on such topics as domestic violence, sexual assault, battering intervention and prevention programs, working through the criminal justice system and related issues