Are you experiencing abuse in a relationship,
or are you concerned that someone you know may be experiencing abuse?
This guide will connect you with organizations and resources that can support you in seeking help and safety for yourself and your loved ones.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
24/7 Helpline: 1-800-537-6066
Through These Doors is Cumberland County’s domestic violence resource center. TTD’s range of free services include a 24/7 confidential Helpline, emergency shelter, court advocacy program, and support groups. Interpreters are available to make the Helpline and other services accessible for non-English speakers.
- Note: In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Through These Doors is currently focusing on providing support through the Helpline, while minimizing in-person advocacy as much as possible. The emergency shelter is following Maine’s Stay Healthy at Home guidelines, and support groups have been suspended until further notice.
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine
24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-800-871-7741
Online Chat (Available Monday-Friday, 8am-11pm)
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine provides advocacy services and support to those affected by sexual violence or harassment in York and Cumberland Counties. The organizations offerings include its confidential helpline, hospital and police station accompaniments, court accompaniments, Sexual Assault Response Team advocacy, support groups, and help for child victims of sexual abuse through the Child Advocacy Center of York County. Interpreters are available to make services accessible for non-English speakers.
- Note: In response to the COVID-19 crisis, SARSSM has reduced its in-person advocacy services and is not offering hospital or police station accompaniments at this time. Advocates are available to provide phone support during hospital visits, as well as follow-up support. All support groups, community outreach, and in-person services through the Child Advocacy Center of York County have been suspended until further notice.
MAINE
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
Statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline: 1-866-834-HELP (4357)
Helpline for the Hearing Impaired: 1-800-437-1220
The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence’s Statewide Helpline connects Mainers affected by domestic abuse, stalking, dating violence, elder abuse, and sexual exploitation to advocates at MCEDV’s nine member organizations throughout the state of Maine. MCEDV’s Helpline can also help connect callers with advocacy services specifically tailored for Maine’s tribal communities.
- Take a look at MCEDV’s Domestic Violence Help Guide
Finding Our Voices is for women in Maine who are victims/survivors of intimate partner abuse. This includes women survivors of same-sex partner abuse, and all those identifying as female. “We run online support groups. We send out free books that were helpful in our own journeys to safety and freedom.
Through referral by partnering organizations/agencies/professionals, we provide financial assistance and access to free dental care. We are NOT housing navigators or legal advocates. If you need either of these services, please contact your local domestic violence agency to see how they can help. The 24/7 confidential Maine hotline is 1-866-834-4357.”
NATIONAL
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Hotline for the Hearing Impaired: 1-800-787-3224
Live Chat Service, in English and Spanish
The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers 24/7 free, confidential advocacy and support through its hotline and online chat services. Expert advocates are available to talk to anyone experiencing abuse, seeking resources or information for themselves or others, or concerned about their relationship. Support is available in more than 200 languages, as well as for the hearing impaired. The NDVH website is also a valuable resource for those seeking information about abuse, dating violence, safety planning, and healthy relationships.
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Online Hotline Live Chat, in English and Spanish
RAINN provides support for those affected by sexual violence 24/7, 365 days a year through its National Sexual Assault Hotline and Online Hotline live chat services. RAINN’s website offers a wealth of information about sexual violence and its effects, as well as safety planning, consent, and sexual violence prevention.
24/7 Hotline: 1-866-331-9474
Hotline for the Hearing Impaired: 1-866-331-8453
Text LOVEIS to 22522
A project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, loveisrespect.org supports young people affected by dating violence and unhealthy relationships through its hotline, texting and online chat services. The website is a great source for teen-friendly information about dating, different forms of abuse, healthy relationships, safety planning, self-care, and helping loved ones who may be experiencing violence.
Helpline: 1-844-762-8483 (available daily, 7am-10pm CT)
The StrongHearts Native Helpline provides culturally sensitive support for Native Americans experiencing abuse and dating violence through peer support and advocacy, crisis intervention, personalized safety planning, and referrals to Native or Tribal-based domestic violence service providers.
- Note: As a result of COVID-19 social distancing protocols, fewer than usual advocates are currently staffing the StrongHearts office. Callers may experience extended wait times due to these limitations.
National Network to End Domestic Violence
The National Network to End Domestic Violence website provides resources and information on many aspects of domestic violence, including financial abuse and technology safety. NNEDV also runs WomensLaw.org, offering plain-language legal information for those affected by domestic violence.
DomesticShelters.org makes it easy to find domestic violence shelters and services in your area. The website also features an extensive collection of articles, videos, and other resources for those seeking information about abuse and sexual violence.
RECOMMENDED READING
For Adult Readers
Understanding Abuse & Getting Help
Lundy Bancroft, Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- Listen to the audiobook through Cloud Library
Lundy Bancroft, When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Children Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse
- Listen to the audiobook through Cloud Library
Lundy Bancroft, Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
Susan Brewster, Helping Her Get Free: A Guide for Families and Friends of Abused Women
Meg Kennedy Dugan, It’s My Life Now: Starting Over After an Abusive Relationship
Patricia Evans, The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize It and How to Respond
- Listen to the audiobook through Cloud Library
David Island, Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them: Battered Gay Men and Domestic Violence
Kerry Lobel, Naming the Violence: Speaking Out About Lesbian Battering
Carrie Martell, Bonnie Clairmont, & Sarah Deer, eds., Sharing Our Stories of Survival: Native Women Surviving Violence
Ginny NiCarthy, Getting Free: You Can End Abuse and Take Back Your Life
- Read the ebook through Cloud Library
Hillary Potter, Battle Cries: Black Women and Intimate Partner Abuse
Karen Wilson, When Violence Begins at Home: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Ending Domestic Abuse
Survivor Stories
Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House: A Memoir
Tanya Selvaratnam, Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence
Kelly Sundberg, Goodbye Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival
For Teens
Nonfiction
Barrie Levy, In Love and Danger: A Teen’s Guide to Breaking Free of Abusive Relationships
Deanna Pledge, When Something Feels Wrong: A Survival Guide About Abuse for Young People
Dating Violence in Fiction
Sarah Dessen, Dreamland
After her older sister runs away, sixteen-year-old Caitlin decides that she needs to make a major change in her own life and begins dating rebellious Rogerson, a magnetic but abusive “bad boy.”
Alex Finn, Breathing Underwater
Sent to counseling for hitting his girlfriend, Caitlin, and ordered to keep a journal, sixteen-year-old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father.
Patrick Jones, Things Change
Sixteen-year-old Johanna, one of the best students in her class, develops a passionate attachment for troubled seventeen-year-old Paul and finds her plans for the future changing in unexpected ways.
S.M. Parker, The Girl Who Fell
When a new boy in school, Alec, sweeps Zephyr off her feet, their passionate romance takes a dangerous and possessive turn when Alec begins manipulating Zephyr.
Julie Anne Peters, Rage: A Love Story
Soon after Johanna begins dating her long-time crush, Reeve, the relationship becomes toxic as Reeve and her twin brother launch an attack upon Johanna’s self-esteem, friendships, and family bonds.
Anica Mrose Rissi, Always Forever Maybe
High school senior Bee falls in love with Aiden, who seems perfect for her until his possessiveness leads to abuse.