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Honoring the Strength & Memory of Helen L. Clark & Helen E. Clark

Path to Hope

Resources & Support for Domestic Violence Survivors

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 Free · Confidential · 24/7 · Text START to 88788 · Chat at TheHotline.org
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Safety

Information and tools to help you create a safer future

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Support

Resources, advocates, and communities that care

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Strength

Empowerment and healing for you and your family

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Hope

A future free from violence is possible. You deserve it.

Recognize the Signs

16 Signs of Domestic Abuse

1

Extreme jealousy or possessiveness

2

Constant criticism, humiliation, or name calling

3

Isolation from family, friends, church, school, or work

4

Controlling money, transportation, or employment

5

Monitoring phones, email, social media, location, or passwords

6

Explosive anger, intimidation, or threats

7

Threatening the survivor, children, pets, family, or friends

8

Blaming the survivor for the abuser's actions

9

Gaslighting, manipulation, and making the survivor doubt reality

10

Physical violence, choking, restraining, or blocking exits

11

Sexual coercion, pressure, or reproductive control

12

Controlling clothing, movement, medical care, or daily decisions

13

Destroying property, keepsakes, documents, or phones

14

Loving apologies after harm, followed by repeated abuse

15

Using children, immigration status, faith, money, or housing as leverage

16

Threatening self-harm or suicide if the survivor leaves

Safety Planning

Steps on How to Leave Safely

Leaving can be the most dangerous time. Whenever possible, plan with a trained domestic violence advocate.

  1. 1
    Identify a safer phone or device to use for planning.
  2. 2
    Contact a hotline, local shelter, advocate, or trusted person.
  3. 3
    Create a code word that means "call for help" or "come get me."
  4. 4
    Gather IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, medications, keys, court papers, school records, and financial documents.
  5. 5
    Save emergency cash, cards, and transportation options if safe to do so.
  6. 6
    Pack a small emergency bag and store it away from the abuser.
  7. 7
    Plan where to go: shelter, hotel, friend, family, police station, hospital, or other safe location.
  8. 8
    Protect digital privacy by changing passwords from a safe device and turning off location sharing.
  9. 9
    Document abuse safely: photos, texts, voicemails, reports, dates, and witnesses.
  10. 10
    Leave when the abuser is away if possible; avoid announcing the plan.
  11. 11
    Seek protective orders, custody guidance, and legal help when needed.
  12. 12
    After leaving, vary routines, alert schools/workplaces if safe, and continue advocacy support.
For Family & Friends

How to Support a Survivor

How to Recognize Abuse in a Loved One

Look for sudden isolation, fearfulness around a partner, unexplained injuries, frequent check-ins with the partner, loss of confidence, financial dependence, withdrawal from normal activities, or a partner who controls clothing, transportation, communication, money, or access to family and friends.

When a Survivor Keeps Going Back

Survivors may return because of trauma bonding, fear, threats, housing insecurity, finances, children, immigration concerns, faith pressure, shame, or love for the person harming them. Stay connected. Do not shame them. Keep offering resources, safety planning, transportation, and a nonjudgmental path back to help.

Preventive Steps You Can Take

Learn warning signs. Check in consistently. Create safe words. Offer transportation or temporary housing when safe. Hold copies of documents or an emergency bag. Share hotline and local coalition information. Support financial independence. Avoid publicly posting details that could expose the survivor's location or plan.

You Are Not to Blame

Abuse is the responsibility of the abuser. Survivors often hide abuse because they are afraid, ashamed, monitored, threatened, or trying to survive. You may not have known the full danger. Your role now is to support, believe, help plan safely, and connect the person to trained advocates.

National Resources

Use These Resources Anywhere in the U.S.

Most state coalitions are not emergency response agencies. In immediate danger, contact 911 if it is safe to do so.

Emergency
If there is immediate danger, do not delay.
Call 911 →
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) · Text START to 88788 · Chat available 24/7.
TheHotline.org →
RAINN
Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) for sexual assault crisis support.
rainn.org →
WomensLaw.org
State-by-state legal information, protective orders, custody information, and advocates and shelters.
womenslaw.org →
DomesticShelters.org
Searchable directory for shelters, advocates, and domestic violence programs nationwide.
domesticshelters.org →
TechSafety.org
Digital safety guidance for phones, accounts, location tracking, and documentation.
techsafety.org →

Find Your Local Coalition

State / TerritoryCoalition / ResourceWebsite
AlabamaAlabama Coalition Against Domestic Violenceacadv.org
AlaskaAlaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assaultandvsa.org
ArizonaArizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violenceacesdv.org
ArkansasArkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violencedomesticpeace.com
CaliforniaCalifornia Partnership to End Domestic Violencecpedv.org
ColoradoViolence Free Coloradoviolencefreecolorado.org
ConnecticutConnecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violencectcadv.org
DelawareDelaware Coalition Against Domestic Violencedcadv.org
District of ColumbiaDC Coalition Against Domestic Violencedccadv.org
FloridaFlorida Partnership to End Domestic Violencefpedv.org
GeorgiaGeorgia Coalition Against Domestic Violencegcadv.org
HawaiiHawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violencehscadv.org
IdahoIdaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violenceidahocoalition.org
IllinoisIllinois Coalition Against Domestic Violenceilcadv.org
IndianaIndiana Coalition Against Domestic Violenceicadvinc.org
IowaIowa Coalition Against Domestic Violenceicadv.org
KansasKansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violencekcsdv.org
KentuckyZeroV (formerly Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence)zerov.org
LouisianaLouisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violencelcadv.org
MaineMaine Coalition to End Domestic Violencemcedv.org
MarylandMaryland Network Against Domestic Violencemnadv.org
MassachusettsJane Doe Inc. — Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violencejanedoe.org
MichiganMichigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violencemcedsv.org
MinnesotaViolence Free Minnesotavfmn.org
MississippiMississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violencemcadv.org
MissouriMissouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violencemocadsv.org
MontanaMontana Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violencemcadsv.com
NebraskaNebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violencenebraskacoalition.org
NevadaNevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violencencedsv.org
New HampshireNew Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violencenhcadsv.org
New JerseyNew Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violencenjcedv.org
New MexicoNew Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violencenmcadv.org
New YorkNew York State Coalition Against Domestic Violencenyscadv.org
North CarolinaNorth Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violencenccadv.org
North DakotaNorth Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalitionnddsvc.org
OhioOhio Domestic Violence Networkodvn.org
OklahomaOklahoma Attorney General Certified Victim Services Listoag.ok.gov
OregonOregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violenceocadsv.org
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violencepcadv.org
Rhode IslandRhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violencericadv.org
South CarolinaSouth Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assaultsccadvasa.org
South DakotaSouth Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assaultsdnafvsa.com
TennesseeTennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violencetncoalition.org
TexasTexas Council on Family Violencetcfv.org
UtahUtah Domestic Violence Coalitionudvc.org
VermontVermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violencevtnetwork.org
VirginiaVirginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliancevsdvalliance.org
WashingtonWashington State Coalition Against Domestic Violencewscadv.org
West VirginiaWest Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violencewvcadv.org
WisconsinEnd Domestic Abuse Wisconsinendabusewi.org
WyomingWyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assaultwyomingdvsa.org
Puerto RicoCoordinadora Paz para las Mujerespazparalasmujeres.org
U.S. Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Councilvidvsac.org
GuamGuam Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Family Violenceguamcoalition.org
American SamoaAmerican Samoa Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violenceasalliance.co
Northern Mariana IslandsNorthern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual ViolenceFacebook Page

Help. Heal. Hope for a Safe Future.

Share this guide. Start conversations. Check on neighbors, coworkers, friends, and loved ones. Domestic violence thrives in silence and isolation. Awareness, compassion, preparation, and connection to trained advocates can save lives.

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