Interpersonal Safety

The Basics

• If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
• On July 16, 2022, the new 988 mental health, suicide prevention, and crisis response hotline launched nationwide. Learn more here.
• Interpersonal safety resources address intimate partner violence, domestic violence, abuse and neglect of children, older adults, and persons with disabilities.
• The National Network to End Domestic Violence offers a variety of recommendations and resources for advocates.
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers a chat option, as well as a range of helpful resources, including an interactive online safety planning tool. Note: call/chat volume is unusually high.
• This resource links to national hotlines that may be able to help navigate local resources.
• On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law bipartisan gun safety legislation, the first major federal gun safety legislation passed in decades.
• On September 16, 2022, President Biden signed a bill that will eliminate the statute of limitations for people who were sexually abused as minors to file federal civil claims.

The Breakdown

IPV

• The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims provides resources for survivors of violence. 
• WomensLaw.org provides state-specific contact information for advocates in local DV programs, legal assistance organizations, courthouse locations, and sheriff departments.
• For help from culturally specific institutes, check the Administration for Children and Family’s website for a list of organizations. 
• The CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention offers resources on addressing intimate partner violence.
• Resources specific for LGBTQ communities here. 
• Deaf or hard of hearing survivors can contact advocates 24/7 by video phone: 855-812-1001; an informative ASL video (with subtitles) is available here.
•  Resources for Abuse or Neglect of Persons with Disabilities. 
• Among other measures, the recent bipartisan gun safety bill closes the “boyfriend loophole,” prohibiting anyone convicted of domestic violence against a former or current dating partner from purchasing a firearm.
• The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers state-by-state statistics and a range of intimate partner and domestic violence fact sheets that may be helpful.

Elder Abuse

• General information about suspecting elder abuse can be found here. 
• Summaries of elder abuse laws: Nationwide Elder Abuse Reporting Information Chart; Legal Definitions of Elder Abuse across the Country.

COVID-19

• The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims offers COVID-specific information and guidance for survivor service providers, culturally specific organizations, and survivors from communities that have had less access to healing services and avenues to justice. 
• The National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH) offers a variety of resources for people experiencing housing insecurity because of domestic or sexual violence, including information to support immigrant survivors during COVID-19.

The Bottom Line

• Community-based organizations continue to provide vital resources for individuals experiencing safety concerns.