Domestic Abuse

Safety Warning:
While you browse, please keep your safety in mind.

Women's Aid Digital Safety Advice

🔗(https://www.womensaid.org.uk/cover-your-tracks-online/)

Text from Women’s Aid copied and lightly edited below.

How can an abuser discover your internet activities?

As a rule, internet browsers will save certain information as you surf the internet. This includes images from websites visited, information entered into search engines and a trail (‘history’) that reveals the sites you have visited.

Please follow the instructions below to minimize the chances of someone finding out that you have visited this or any other website:

Note: If you don’t know the type of browser you are using, visit the link above.

Look for the Exit site button

Sites often have Exit Site buttons that allow you to quickly exit.

Use the “Private or Incognito browsing” mode

Once this mode is enabled, nothing about your activity on your computer will be in that browsing window. This won’t stop online services from seeing what you get up to, but it won’t leave any traces of your activity on your computer.

Visit the link above for instructions on how to activate this mode (and double check it) in each type of browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome).

Delete your browsing history

Internet browsers also keep a record of all the web pages you visit. This is known as a ‘history’. To delete history for Internet Explorer and Firefox:

1. Hold down the Ctrl key + H key.

2. Find any entries that say include the website you don't want recorded + right click + choose Delete.

Save and delete emails for your safety

If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing email messages, they may be printed and saved as evidence of this abuse. Emails may be stored in:

"Sent Items", "Draft folders" (If you started an email but didn’t finish it), in the body of your replies or in "Deleted Items".

If you want to delete an email permanently, you need to delete it separately from Deleted Items.

Erase your search history from toolbars

Toolbars such as Google, AOL and Yahoo keep a record of the search words you have typed into the toolbar search box. In order to erase all the search words you have typed in, you will need to check the individual instructions for each type of toolbar.

Don’t forget to log out

Don’t forget to log out of your accounts when you have finished your browsing session so no one else can log in as you.

General security

If you do not use a password to log on to your computer, someone else will be able to access your email and track your internet usage.

All of the above information may not completely hide your tracks. Many browser types have features that display recently visited sites.

The safest way to find information on the internet, would be at a local library, a friend’s house, or at work.

Online and Digital Abuse

🔗https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/onlinesafety/

Further information and support about online and digital abuse

Support for Victims and Survivors

International

European Commission's Help Directory

🇪🇺🔗https://ec.europa.eu/justice/saynostopvaw/helpline.html

Directory of helplines of 46 European countries

Chayn

🌍🔗https://chayn.co/

❓Advice, Signposting

Online survivor-led resources for people experiencing abusive relationships and gender-based violence. Open and free resources in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Farsi, Pashto, Urdu, Russian, and Italian

United Kingdom

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

🇬🇧🔗https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us?

📞 0808 2000 247 (freephone; 24 hour helpline; confidential; many languages)

❓Helpline; Find a Refuge Vacancy; Discuss Options

Helpline information and secure messaging form and chatbox, run by Refuge

Refuge: safety tips during COVID-19

🇬🇧🔗https://www.refuge.org.uk/covid19-survivor-tips/

Safety tips for survivors during the pandemic and Further advice and support for peole experiencing domestic violence (including still living with abuser, planning to leave the abuser or having left the abuser)

UK Government: Guidance to get help

🇬🇧🔗https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help

❓Signposting; Advice

List of support organisations, advice on recognising domestic abuse, getting help as a victim, for children and young people, and as a perpetrator; support for employers and professional

NHS: guidance to recognise the signs and where to get help.

🇬🇧🔗https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/getting-help-for-domestic-violence/

❓Signposting; Advice on recognising DA; Advice on Supporting a Friend

Guidance for people experiencing abuse or people wanting to help someone who is. Provides information on the signs of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, and a list of heplines and organisations for support

Respect: Men's Advice Line

🇬🇧🔗https://mensadviceline.org.uk/

📞 0808 8010327 (freephone 9am - 5pm / 8pm depending on the day)

✉️ [email protected]

❓Helpline; Advice; Emotional Support; Signposting

✅Men

Access (call, webchat or email) to advisors providing emotional support, practical advice and information. Also provides advice for friends and family, and frontline workers

Repository of digital services in the domestic abuse sector

🇬🇧🌍🔗https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EilGvCxSrj69irn86L_ll2TGVc8g5PbZyuSysTBACJI/edit#gid=0

❓Signposting

GoogleSheet mapping out online toolkits and apps, updated in May 2020

Hestia (London)

🇬🇧🔗https://www.hestia.org/domestic-abuse

❓Refuge; Support

📞 0808 2000 247 (National Domestic Abuse Helpline to help find a refuge vacancy)

Hestia provides refuge and community based support. During the pandemic, Hestia refuges continue to take referrals and accept women fleeing domestic abuse. They have also partnered with Boots and Superdrug to provide safe spaces for victims of domestic violence to access support in pharmacy consultation rooms

Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://sdafmh.org.uk/

📞 0800 027 1234 (24 hour helpline)

✉️[email protected] and Live chat available on the website

❓Helpline

Confidential and sensitive advice and support for anyone with experience of domestic abuse or forced marriage, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues and professionals who support them. Available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Polish, Punjabi, Spanish and Urdu

Scottish Women's Aid

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://womensaid.scot/

❓Information; Support

Website with advice and information resources and tool to locate local services. Includes resources specific to the pandemic

Scottish Women's Rights Centre

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://www.scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk/blogs/covid-19coronavirus-info/

❓Information; Advice

Up-to-date information on the impact of coronavirus on contact arrangements, court cases, support for those experiencing domestic violence

Police Scotland: Reporting a domestic abuse case

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/c3/

❓Reporting

Online and secure reporting form

Health in Mind (Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://www.health-in-mind.org.uk/news_and_blogs/i2267/covid_19_update_march_2020.aspx

❓Support; Information

Health in Mind are making as many counselling services as possible available online and on the phone

Follow it App (Stalking)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://followitapp.org.uk/

❓App

An app for women in Scotland experiencing stalking to log the stalking incidents. It is tailored to Scottish Law. It is provided by the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre

Lifelink

🇬🇧🔗https://www.lifelink.org.uk/news/2020/march/coronavirus-update/

❓Counselling; Self-Help Materials

Lifelink moved all one-to-one counselling sessions to online and telephone

Refuge

🇬🇧🔗https://www.refuge.org.uk/our-work/forms-of-violence-and-abuse/tech-abuse-2/resources/

❓ Refuges, Support in the Community, Advocacy, Support for victims of gender-based violence, Child support workers, Support for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, Empowering victims of tech abuse

Women's Aid England

🇬🇧🔗 https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/

✉️[email protected] (response within 5 working days)

❓ Information; Signposting

Women's Aid Live Chat

🇬🇧🔗https://chat.womensaid.org.uk

❓Information; Advice; Counselling

⏰ Monday to Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-12:00pm

Access to advice for women experiencing domestic violence from trained female support workers. Not an emergency service

Women's Aid Wales

🇬🇧🔗https://www.welshwomensaid.org.uk/information-and-support/

📞0808 80 10 800 (Freephone, confidential, 24 hours)

❓ Signposting, Safety Planning, Legal Protection

Safe Spaces at Boots and Superdrug

🇬🇧🔗https://uksaysnomore.org/safespaces/

❓Safe space

Consultation rooms offered as a safe space where victims of domestic violence can contact specialist domestic abuse services for support and advice

Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women's Centre (London)

🇬🇧🔗www.al-hasaniya.org.uk

📞 020 8969 2292

Asha Project (London?)

🇬🇧🔗http://www.ashaprojects.org.uk

📞 0208 696 0023

❓Refuge

✅Offers secure accommodation to women and their children who: are threatened with or experiencing domestic and / or sexual violence; are of South Asian origin; have recourse to public funds; are 18 years and over. They do not offer support to women with high support mental and physical health needs, or those dependent on drugs and alcohol

Ashiana

🇬🇧🔗www.ashiana.org.uk

📞 WhatsApp link: https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=Specialist%20Advice%20and%20Advocacy%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ashiana.org.uk%2Fservices%2Fadvice%2F

❓Advocacy, Advice, Counselling, Training, Support Groups, Violence Prevention, Community Outreach, Refuge

✅Culturally-specific support for women of South Asian, Turkish and Iranian backgrounds. Some beds also reserved for women with no recourse to public funds

Bede Starfish Domestic Abuse Project (Southwark, London)

🇬🇧🔗https://bedehouse.org.uk/programmes/starfish/

📞 0207 237 9162

✉️ [email protected]

❓Telephone / Email Support

Befriendings

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔗https://www.befriending.co.uk/resources/covid-19-support/

Befriending offers supportive, reliable relationships through volunteer befrienders to people who would otherwise be socially isolated. Around the UK, there are befriending projects which organise effective support for children and young people, families, people with mental ill-health, people with learning disabilities and older people, amongst many others

Beverly Lewis House (London)

🇬🇧🔗https://directory.islington.gov.uk/kb5/islington/directory/service.page?id=gnYOLyoTIj4

📞 020 7473 2813

Beverley Lewis House is a refuge for single women with learning disabilities escaping domestic violence or other forms of abuse. Run by L&Q

Ireland

Women's Aid Ireland

🇮🇪🔗https://www.womensaid.ie/help/

📞1800 341 900 (National Freephone Helpline)

✉️ [email protected]

❓Helpline, One-to-One Support (including Legal), Court Accompaniment Service

United States

National Domestic Violence Hotline

🇺🇸🔗https://www.thehotline.org/

📞 1-800-799-7233 (24 hour freephone, confidential); text LOVEIS to 22522. Spanish freephone available 12pm-6pm central time.

📞1-800-787-3224 (TTY) (especially for those who are deaf or hard of hearing; video phone: 1-855-812-1001)

✉️ [email protected] (for deaf or hard of hearing)

❓Helpline, Safety Planning, Legal Help

Crisis Text Line, which addresses a range of issues, can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 and via Facebook Messenger from the organization's website. It is available in more than 200 languages

National Sexual Assault Hotline

🇺🇸🔗https://hotline.rainn.org/oonline?_ga=2.1272049.1121455869.1584120887-1734706098.1584120887

📞800.656.HOPE (4673) (24 hour freephone, confidential)

✅Survivors of sexual assault and those supporting them

The Network: “The Network/La Red’

🇺🇸🔗http://tnlr.org/en/24-hour-hotline/

📞617-742-4911 (voice) or 800-832-1901 (freephone, confidential).

❓Emotional Support, Information, Safety Planning, Crisis Intervention

✅LGBQ/T folks, as well as folks in SM/kink and polyamorous communities who are being abused or have been abused by a partner

SafeHorizon (New York)

🇺🇸🔗https://www.safehorizon.org/emergency/

📞Domestic violence: +18006214673 (24 hour freephone, confidential)

📞Rape and sexual assault: +12122273000 (24 hour freephone, confidential)

Available in English and Spanish

Anti-Violence Project

🇺🇸🔗https://avp.org/

❓Counselling; Safety Planning; Signposting to Resources

📞2127141141 (24 hour; English / Spanish hotline)

✅ L.G.B.T.Q.+ experiencing abuse or hate-based violence

Helpmate (North Carolina)

🇺🇸 🔗https://helpmateonline.org/

📞8282540516

❓Free emergency shelter, Counselling

Helpmate provides services to victims of domestic violence in BuncombeCounty, North Carolina

Alternative Justices

🇺🇸? 🔗https://www.alternativejustices.com/victim-of-assault

✉️️[email protected]

📞747444ALTJ

❓Listening, Emotional Support, Mediation

Family Violence Prevention Services

🇺🇸🔗https://fvps.org

📞Crisis Hotline: 210-733-8810

Services will be available throughout the crisis

Germany

National Women’s Helpline

🇩🇪🔗https://www.berlin.de/willkommenszentrum/en/everyday-life/support-for-women/ [Berlin website linking to the national website]

📞08000116016 (freephone; multilingual)

Hotline for men experiencing domestic violence

🇩🇪🔗https://www.maennerhilfetelefon.de/

📞+498001239900

✅Male victims of domestic abuse

Canada

Unsafe at Home Ottawa

🇨🇦Ottawa 🔗 https://unsafeathomeottawa.ca

📞6137045535 (text 7 days a week 8:30am - midnight; French and English)

❓Counselling

Assaulted Women's Helpine

🇨🇦Ontario 🔗http://www.awhl.org/

📞18668630511(24/7 freephone; >200 languages)

📞186668637868 (24/7 freephone TTY)

❓Counselling, Emotional Support, Information, Referrals

SOS Violence Conjugale

🇨🇦Quebec 🔗http://www.sosviolenceconjugale.ca/

📞18003639010 (24/7 freephone, confidential, bilingual)

VictimLinkBC

🇨🇦British Columbia 🔗https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/victimlinkbc

📞18005630808 (24/7 freephone, confidential, multilingual including many North American Aboriginal languages)

✉️️[email protected]

❓Information, referral

Alberta Family Violence Info Line

🇨🇦Alberta 🔗https://www.alberta.ca/family-violence-prevention.aspx

📞3101818 (not clear whether 24/7, freephone, confidential)

Support resources for family violence in Alberta

🇨🇦Alberta 🔗 https://www.alberta.ca/family-violence-find-supports.aspx

List of helplines, financial assistance, shelter and other supports, and information on the law and survivors' rights

Manitoba Stop the Violence

🇨🇦Manitoba 🔗https://www.gov.mb.ca/stoptheviolence/index.html

📞 18779770007 (confidential; not clear whether it's 24/7 and freephone)

📞 18889872829 (TTY, confidential; not clear whether it's 24/7 and freephone)

❓Information and support

Island Help Line

🇨🇦Prince Edward Island 🔗https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/family-and-human-services/emergency-services-victims-family-violence

📞 18002182885 (24/7 freephone, confidential)

❓Information; support; active listening; criss counselling

Argentina

Línea 144 - Atención a víctimas de violencia de género

🇦🇷🔗https://www.argentina.gob.ar/generos/linea-144

📞 144 (24 hour, freephone, confidential)

📞 1127716463 (Whatsapp, for those who cannot talk openly due to the presence of their abuser)

✉️️[email protected]

📱Mobile app available to download on this page

❓ Help, counselling and support for gender violence victims

General information (in Spanish) on how to use the helpline

Línea 137 - Atención a víctimas de violencia familiar o sexual

🇦🇷📞 137 (24 hour, freephone)

📞 1131331000 (Whatsapp)

✉️️[email protected]

❓ Help, counselling and support for domestic violence victims, general information, denouncing cases

Medidas en materia de género y diversidad en el marco de la emergencia sanitaria (Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity)

🇦🇷🔗https://www.argentina.gob.ar/generos/medidas-en-materia-de-genero-y-diversidad-en-el-marco-de-la-emergencia-sanitaria

Measures taken and recommendations concerning gender and minority issues throughout the quarantine (in Spanish)

Guides for Victims and Survivors

Creating a Safety Plan from the National Domestic Violence Hotline

🇺🇸🔗https://www.thehotline.org/help/path-to-safety

Covers different types of Safety Planning: While Living With An Abusive Partner, Children, Pets, Pregnancy, Emotional Abuse. There is also a section on leaving a relationship including what to do when preparing, doing so, and afterwards. At the end, you can find legal information on restraining orders/protective orders

National Network to End Domestic Violence Resources on the Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

🇺🇸🔗https://nnedv.org/latest_update/resources-response-coronavirus-covid-19/

A compilation of recommendations and resources by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)

Safety Tips from Women's Law

🇺🇸🌍🔗https://www.womenslaw.org/about-abuse/safety-tips/domestic-violence-victims/safety-abuser

Suggestions for during the violence, what to tell your children, and ways to get help

Safelives Guide

🇬🇧🔗http://safelives.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Safety%20planning%20guide,%20victims%20and%20survivors,%20COVID-19.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3uWOREkSelhJvAHuhyfDbvVwtsaBeMu3gZs-kBNKq6NdZRZLpwH3hxpLo

Staying safe during COVID-19

Women's Aid Covid-19 Resource Hub

🇬🇧🔗https://www.womensaid.org.uk/covid-19-resource-hub/

Practical support and guide for women

Surviving Economic Abuse

🇬🇧🔗https://survivingeconomicabuse.org/economic-abuse-and-the-covid-19-outbreak/

Economic abuse and the COVID-19 outbreak

For Professionals Working with Victims of Domestic Abuse

Using Technology to Communicate with Survivors During a Public Health Crisis

🇺🇸🌍🔗https://www.techsafety.org/digital-services-during-public-health-crises

Examples of technology that can be used to communicate with survivors remotely. Recommendations for how to approach remote work

Digital Services Toolkit

🇺🇸🌍 https://www.techsafety.org/digital-services-toolkit

Additional related resources during the pandemic, inclusing how to asess readiness for tech-based tools, how to choose the right technology and best practices

How to Operate as a Remote Workplace During a Public Health Crisis with Survivors of Violence in Mind

🇺🇸🌍🔗https://www.techsafety.org/remote-work-public-health-crisis

Recommendations on how to approach remote work as someone who works with survivors

Resources on Best Practices When Using Email, Mobiles Phones

🇺🇸🌍🔗https://www.techsafety.org/resources-agencyuse

If domestic violence shelters and anti-abuse advocates consider moving their services to mobile, remote or tech-based services, this is a useful resource. The Digital Service Toolkit is available in English and Spanish

Tech vs Abuse: Research Findings

🇬🇧🌍🔗https://www.techvsabuse.info/research-findings

Analysis of potential for tech in domestic abuse space (2019)

How SafeLives uses tech to tackle domestic abuse during COVID-19

🇬🇧🌍🔗https://medium.com/wethecatalysts/how-safelives-uses-tech-to-tackle-domestic-abuse-during-covid-19-46603818254c

Checklist on adapting domestic violence services to digital

Joint Statement from VAWG sector on Covid 19

🇬🇧🔗https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/joint-statement-from-vawg-sector-on-covid-19/

Requests that funders don't impose any necessary burdens during coronavirus, encourages government to end the hostile environment and the no recourse to public funds and proposes actions on contingency planning, guidance, awareness, equal representation, monitoring and action

Evidence Review: Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programmes

🇬🇧🔗https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/evidence/evidence-store/intervention/domestic-violence-perpetrator-programmes/

What Works for Children's Social Care reviews the evidence on perpetrator programmes. There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of perpetrator programmes (which isn't the same thing as saying there's evidence that they don't work)

Evidence Review: Interventions for Women Parenting in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence

🇬🇧🔗https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/evidence/evidence-store/intervention/interventions-for-women-parenting-in-the-context-of-intimate-partner-violence

What Works for Children's Social Care reviews the evidence on interventions for Women Parenting in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence. The Project Support program and the Child-Parent Psychotherapy interventions focus on mother’s mental health and parenting behaviours, aimed at improving coping strategies and reductions in conflict between the mother and child. Both Child-Parent Psychotherapy and Project Support showed promise in reducing maternal distress and improving parenting, although findings are mixed. Results are promising for interventions that include individual and combined sessions for mothers and children and which focused on enhancing the mother-child relationship