October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Delaware Resources and Help for Survivors
A closed door should never decide whether someone gets help. Domestic violence often happens in private, but the support a survivor needs should be visible, local, and easy to reach.
Every October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month gives communities a reason to say clearly what should be true all year: abuse is never the survivor’s fault, and help is available. For people in Delaware, that help may include emergency shelter, legal protection, counseling, safety planning, medical care, financial support, and someone trained to listen without judgment.
Domestic violence can include physical harm, threats, stalking, sexual abuse, financial control, isolation, intimidation, destruction of property, and using children, pets, immigration status, housing, or money to maintain control. It can happen in dating relationships, marriages, former relationships, shared homes, and family systems. People of every age, gender, race, income level, and background can experience it.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is about more than wearing purple
Awareness matters because abuse often grows in silence. Domestic Violence Awareness Month creates room for a different message:
You are not alone. What happened is not your fault. Support exists.
Awareness also helps friends, relatives, neighbors, coworkers, health care workers, educators, faith leaders, and community members notice warning signs. Abuse may not look like a single dramatic moment. It can look like someone becoming isolated, losing access to money, seeming afraid to answer a partner’s calls, missing work or appointments, covering injuries, or constantly needing permission for ordinary choices.
Support does not always begin with leaving. For many survivors, leaving is the most dangerous time. A safer first step may be talking with an advocate, gathering documents, setting aside emergency supplies, changing account passwords from a safe device, or making a code word with someone trusted.
Good support respects the survivor’s pace. It does not shame, pressure, or demand proof.
If you need help right now in Delaware
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you need confidential support, these resources can help you think through safe next steps.
Resource | How it can help | Contact |
National Domestic Violence Hotline | Confidential support, safety planning, and connection to local help | 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or visit thehotline.org |
Delaware domestic violence hotline for New Castle County | Crisis support and connection to local services | 302-762-6110 |
Delaware domestic violence hotline for Kent and Sussex Counties | Crisis support and connection to local services | 302-422-8058 |
Delaware 211 | Referrals for housing, food, health care, transportation, and community services | Dial 211 or visit delaware211.org |
Emergency services | Immediate danger, active violence, urgent medical need, or weapon threats | 911 |
If you are worried that your phone or computer is being watched, use a safer device if possible, such as a friend’s phone, a library computer, or a device the abusive person cannot access. Clearing your browser history may not be enough if monitoring software is installed.
If calling feels unsafe, consider:
Texting a trusted person with a simple code word
Going to a public place with staff nearby
Contacting a hotline through online chat from a safer device
Asking a health care provider, school counselor, advocate, or faith leader to help make the call
If a child, older adult, or person with a disability is also at risk, tell the advocate or emergency responder. They can help think through safety needs for everyone involved.
Delaware resources for survivors and families
Delaware has statewide and local organizations that support people experiencing domestic violence. Services may vary by county, availability, and individual safety needs, so contacting a hotline is often the fastest way to learn what is open and appropriate.
Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence
The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence works statewide to address domestic violence through training, advocacy, prevention, public policy, and community education. The coalition is a strong starting point for learning about domestic violence in Delaware and finding programs connected to survivor support.
DCADV is not a replacement for emergency help. If you are in danger, call 911 or a crisis hotline.
CHILD, Inc. in New Castle County
CHILD, Inc. provides services connected to domestic violence, family support, and counseling in New Castle County. Survivors may be able to access crisis support, safety planning, shelter referrals, advocacy, and related services.
For domestic violence crisis support in New Castle County, call 302-762-6110.
People’s Place in Kent and Sussex Counties
People’s Place provides community-based services in Kent and Sussex Counties, including support for people affected by domestic violence. Services may include crisis response, shelter connection, advocacy, and safety planning.
For domestic violence crisis support in Kent and Sussex Counties, call 302-422-8058.
Legal help and Protection From Abuse orders
Some survivors decide to seek a Protection From Abuse order, often called a PFA. In Delaware, PFAs are handled through Family Court. A PFA may address contact, residence, temporary custody, firearms restrictions, and other safety concerns, depending on the situation and court findings.
You can learn more through the Delaware Family Court Protection From Abuse information.
Legal support may also be available through:
This post is informational only and is not legal advice. If you are considering a legal step, an advocate or attorney can help you understand options and risks, especially if the abusive person may react dangerously.
Safety planning can start with one small step
Leaving an abusive situation is not simple. It can involve housing, income, children, pets, immigration concerns, disability needs, transportation, court orders, school schedules, and fear of retaliation. A safety plan helps reduce risk before, during, or after a crisis.
A safety plan should be personal. What is safe for one person may not be safe for another. An advocate can help create a plan that fits the real situation.
Common safety planning steps may include:
Choose one trusted contact
Pick someone who can respond without confronting the abusive person. Share only what feels safe.
Create a code word
A code word can mean “call 911,” “come get me,” or “I need you to check in.”
Keep copies of key documents
This may include IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, insurance cards, custody papers, immigration documents, medical records, and protective orders. Store them somewhere safe if possible.
Plan around technology
Change passwords from a safer device. Turn off location sharing if safe to do so. Check shared phone plans, cloud accounts, vehicle tracking, smart home devices, and apps that reveal location.
Pack a small emergency bag
If safe, include medication, keys, cash, documents, clothing, chargers, and comfort items for children.
Plan for your pets
Abusive people may threaten pets as a way to control survivors. Ask an advocate about local options for pet safety.
Know safer rooms and exits
If violence escalates, avoid rooms with weapons or limited exits, such as kitchens, bathrooms, garages, or rooms with hard surfaces.
Protect children without placing responsibility on them
This may include going to a neighbor, calling 911, or using a code word.
How to support someone who may be experiencing abuse
Many people freeze because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing. A caring, calm response can help more than a perfect one.
Start with belief. Try simple phrases:
“I believe you.”
“I am worried about your safety.”
“You can talk to me without being judged.”
“What would feel safest right now?”
Avoid pushing someone to leave before they are ready. Avoid criticizing them for staying or returning. Abuse often involves fear, financial control, threats, love, children, housing, immigration concerns, and isolation. Leaving can take time and planning.
Offer specific help when you can:
A ride to an appointment
A safe place to keep documents
Child care during a hotline call or court visit
Help searching for local services from a safer device
A prepared bag stored outside the home
A calm check-in at agreed times
Do not confront the abusive person. That can increase danger for the survivor. If someone shares information with you, protect their privacy. Ask before taking action unless there is immediate danger or mandatory reporting applies.
Community members can also support local domestic violence programs by donating supplies, volunteering where appropriate, attending trainings, sharing hotline information, and speaking up when jokes, threats, or controlling behavior are normalized.
When professional support may help
Domestic violence can affect physical safety, mental health, sleep, work, parenting, finances, and trust. Survivors may feel fear, grief, anger, numbness, shame, confusion, or all of these at once. Those reactions are common responses to trauma.
Professional support can help with:
Understanding patterns of power and control
Creating a safety plan
Sorting through options without pressure
Preparing for legal or housing steps
Coping with anxiety, trauma responses, and grief
Rebuilding confidence and connection
If you would like private support, you can book a confidential appointment through our website. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or a domestic violence hotline first.
Awareness should lead to safety, support, and action
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a reminder, but survivors need help every month of the year. Awareness matters most when it leads to safer homes, stronger local resources, better listening, and fewer people carrying fear alone.
If you are experiencing domestic violence in Delaware, help is available. You do not have to have everything figured out before reaching out. You can call, text, chat, ask questions, and take one step at a time.
If you are supporting someone else, lead with belief. Share resources safely. Respect their choices. Stay steady.
A survivor’s path to safety may begin with one quiet message, one hotline call, one trusted person, or one appointment. That first step matters.
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