The History of the Domestic Abuse Hotline

Since their establishment, domestic abuse hotlines have done a great deal to provide victims of abuse with advice and support. The counselors who are employed at these hotlines are concerned with the safety and the well being of women throughout the country. They understand the horrors of intimate partner abuse, and the terrible effects that this behavior can have on a victim. Therefore, these trained and experienced counselors ensure that they provide individuals with all of the information that they need in order to receive help and escape their current situation. Abuse hotlines have been very successful in helping individuals around the country. There have been hotlines established at both a statewide and a national level in order to ensure that individuals throughout the nation have access to invaluable support.

Inception

In the 1970's organizations throughout the country began recognizing the need to establish a method of providing victims of domestic violence with access to assistance and support. Some states also started to acknowledge intimate partner abuse as a severe and growing health concern. These states and organizations began to develop crisis hotlines which victims of abuse and concerned individuals could contact in order to receive advice and information. In 1994, congress passed the Violence Against Women Act which designated funds for the establishment of new and effective domestic violence response and prevention programs. As part of this Act, financial funds were allocated for the creation of a national domestic violence hotline. Domestic violence hotlines provide individuals with access to the information that they need in order to help prevent intimate partner abuse.