Your First Call For Help or Information
Talk It Through
National Domestic Violence Hotline: If you or someone you know is frightened about something in your relationship, call the hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.
Help is available to callers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 170 languages through interpreter services.
State Domestic Abuse Resources
Teen Hotline
Love is Respect: Call 1-866-331-9474 or TTY 1-866-331-8453 if you think your boyfriend is abusing you or if he acts in ways that cause you or your parents concern. The site also has an optional chat feature if you cannot or don't want to call.
Another Option
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network: Sexual abuse is a common "side-effect" of verbal abuse. Sometimes, verbal abusers manipulate their victim into having sex when she'd rather not. If you cry after sex and aren't sure why (or know that you're not crying from "afterglow"), call
1-800-656-HOPE(4673) or use the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline in "chat" format.
I called the rainn.org hotline above when my husband told me (again) that all of our marital problems sprung from the rape I endured at 14. For once, instead of internalizing his point, I thought, "Nonsense." I felt that he was trying to shirk all responsibility onto me. In the past, this suggestion has worked for him - I've spent more time questioning myself than I like to admit. But this time, I called the rainn.org hotline and talked about it with a knowledgeable person. Best call I ever made!
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