National Domestic Violence Hotline Answers 7 Millionth Contact
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 13, 2024
CONTACT: Lynn Brewer; [email protected]
Austin, TX – On March 13th at 8:11AM CDT, a call came into the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) from a New York-based woman experiencing domestic violence. Colin, an advocate for The Hotline, listened. Like many survivors, the caller sought resources for shelter, financial aid, and emotional support for herself and her children. Her call was just one of the 1,503 calls The Hotline answered that day. However, her call marked a particularly sobering milestone: the 7 millionth contact to The Hotline since its inception in 1996.
“We could not have imagined 28 years ago the millions of people who would reach out for support, validation, care, and safety,” said Katie Ray-Jones, CEO of The Hotline. “Every call is a person, a story, a journey, a family, a community. This milestone is a somber reminder of how pervasive domestic violence is— and yet we know that for the millions of people who have reached out for support— many more have not.”
The Hotline is the only 24/7 hotline specifically dedicated to those impacted by relationship abuse in the United States via live call, chat, and text (referred to as contacts). Demand for The Hotline’s services continues to grow exponentially, driven in part by the lingering impacts of COVID-19, and continues risks created by systemic issues like firearms in the hands of abusive partners, the overturning of Roe v Wade, and attacks on immigration and marginalized communities. It took 2,720 days to answer the first million calls, while sadly it took only 784 to answer this latest million. The Hotline is seeing the highest needs for those impacted by relationship abuse to be housing, financial assistance and legal aid.
The Hotline’s mission is to shift power back to those impacted by relationship abuse. Since 1996, The Hotline has kept its lines open 24/7 for anyone who needs support, and seven million people have connected with its advocates to receive validation, connection to resources, and hope for a safer future.
The Hotline is using this moment in its history to call for even greater change in the United States. Domestic violence is a public health crisis, and we must respond accordingly. Our families, schools and communities are deeply impacted and yet resources and support for survivors and their families continue to be lacking. Through its storytelling campaign “I Am 7 Million” will spotlight the experiences of survivors and call on Congress, corporations, churches, and community leads to do more to end domestic violence.
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The National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) established in 1996, serves those impacted by relationship abuse in the U.S. 24/7 with free and confidential live services provided via phone, chat, and text. The Hotline envisions a world where all relationships are positive, healthy, and free from violence.
If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship abuse in any form, help is available — text START to 88788, call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat online at TheHotline.org. You are not alone.