Basics

You can also call:

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline:

  1-800-799-7233
  TDD: 1-800-787-3224

• Your local domestic violence shelter
• Child Protective Services in your county
• Adult Protective Services in your county

This section tells you about ways to use the courts to protect yourself and your family from abuse and harassment. It also gives you information on resources to make sure you and your family stay safe. And it gives you links to help you identify if you or someone you care about is in an abusive relationship and get help.

Keep in mind that this section mainly gives you information on the laws about abuse and harassment. And it tells you about going to court to protect yourself. It does not deal in depth with abuse, domestic violence, and harassment from the point of view of the psychological and emotional impact they have on you. But that information is VERY important in being able to protect yourself and in leaving an abusive relationship. So visit the links in Getting Help to get more information on those issues and resources for help.