Choose your country or region in one of these directories:
- The NO MORE Global Directory searches domestic and sexual violence services by country or region. NO MORE says its listings are for men, women, and nonbinary people across almost every UN-recognized country and territory.
- Lila.help covers almost every country. Select yours to look up helplines, crisis centers, community services, and shelters for gender-based violence. Its information is checked and updated by frontline networks, according to the Global Network of Women's Shelters.
- Find A Helpline's abuse and domestic-violence section covers support by phone, text, and chat in many countries.
All three directories organize help by country, but their coverage and verification descriptions come from the directory operators. Read the individual service listing because audience, hours, language, channels, accessibility, cost, and service role can differ.
If you are unsure whether what is happening is abuse, conflict versus abuse in a relationship compares power, free choice, and what happens after someone says no.
If violence or a medical emergency is happening now, use urgent local help. A domestic-abuse helpline may support and refer you without being able to send an emergency response.
Choose the service that fits the job
The word "resource" can hide very different services:
- An advocate or helpline can listen first. They can then talk through your choices, help make a safety plan, or give you details for a local service. The relationship safety-plan guide explains what that planning conversation may cover.
- A shelter or housing service deals with accommodation, often with eligibility and availability rules.
- A legal service explains the law in its own jurisdiction. A health service deals with injuries, sexual health, medication, and other care.
- Emergency services respond to immediate danger. They are not the same as counseling or long-term support.
Not sure where to start? A domestic-abuse advocate is one option. Before going into detail, ask what help the organization actually provides.
Check the details that affect access
Check that the service covers your area and accepts people of your age, gender, or residency status. Look at its hours and time zone, languages, disability access, contact channels, and any stated call or message charges. Confirm whether it provides support or can send an emergency response.
"Hotline" does not always mean that someone can dispatch help. It also does not tell you the price of the call or the limits of confidentiality.
A simple first question
You can keep the first contact short:
"Before I share personal details, can you tell me who can use this service, what kind of help you provide, and your confidentiality limits? I do not want you to contact my partner."
You can stop, decline a question, or try another organization. If the first service is not a fit, ask for the name of an advocacy service in your area or return to the other directory.
Contact may leave records
The Safety Net Project's website guidance explains that browsing can leave history and other traces. Its cell-phone safety guide covers call logs, billing records, messages, linked accounts, and cloud backups.
If someone may be monitoring you, use a device they have not accessed when one is available. A sudden change to passwords, location sharing, or history can also be noticed, so ask an advocate about technology changes when discovery could increase danger.