National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 confidential support, safety planning, and referrals for survivors, loved ones, and advocates.
Call: 1-800-799-7233
Text: Text START to 88788
Support resources
Prevention, safety, and survivor support
Every memorial story on Real Crime Stories should lead back to action: warning signs, safety planning, legal information, and trusted support.
This directory is built to help readers find immediate support, search for nearby services, and return to survivor-centered information without sensational framing.
Immediate support
Trusted places to begin
These are the first-line resources surfaced at the top of the directory because they offer crisis support, legal information, or safety planning that is broadly useful.
WomensLaw
Legal information about restraining orders, custody, immigration, and survivor safety across U.S. jurisdictions.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides free, confidential support to victims and survivors of human trafficking, as well as concerned family members, service providers, and members of the public. Available 24 hours a day, the hotline offers crisis intervention, safety planning, referrals to local resources, and information about available options. Interpreters are available in multiple languages, and individuals can seek help without being required to report to law enforcement.
Call: 1-888-373-7888
Text: 233733
Directory
Search by need, audience, or nearby support
Search the directory for trusted support resources, or use the nearby search to look for help closer to home.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National
24/7 confidential support, safety planning, and referrals for survivors, loved ones, and advocates.
StrongHearts Native Helpline
National
Culturally grounded domestic violence and dating violence support for Native American and Alaska Native communities.
WomensLaw
National
Legal information about restraining orders, custody, immigration, and survivor safety across U.S. jurisdictions.
NNEDV Safety Net
National
Technology safety guidance covering phones, apps, location sharing, spyware, and digital privacy risks in abusive relationships. Learn how to identify and protect yourself against digital stalking, covert location sharing like Find My or Life360, and hidden spyware on your devices.
VictimConnect Resource Center
National
Confidential emotional support, planning help, and referrals for crime victims, including domestic violence survivors.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
National
24/7 support and local referrals for sexual violence survivors, including people facing overlapping domestic violence and exploitation.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
National
Support for concerns involving children, family violence, or mandated reporting questions.
211 Community Resource Finder
National
A practical local-entry point for shelters, food support, legal aid, housing help, and crisis services in many areas.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
National
The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides free, confidential support to victims and survivors of human trafficking, as well as concerned family members, service providers, and members of the public. Available 24 hours a day, the hotline offers crisis intervention, safety planning, referrals to local resources, and information about available options. Interpreters are available in multiple languages, and individuals can seek help without being required to report to law enforcement.
Tahirih Justice Center
Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington DC, Houston, San Francisco Bay area
The Tahirih Justice Center provides free legal and social services to immigrant women, girls, and other individuals fleeing violence, abuse, and human trafficking. Their attorneys assist eligible survivors with immigration relief, including T Visas, U Visas, asylum, and other forms of legal protection, while connecting clients with additional support services.
NamUs
National
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System is a free national case tool that helps families of missing persons enter and search case information and connect with criminal justice professionals working to resolve cases.
Parents of Murdered Children
National
Parents of Murdered Children offers survivor support, unsolved and cold case resources, advocacy, and chapter-based connection for families and friends of people who have died by violence.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
National
NCMEC provides a 24-hour hotline, victim and family support, state clearinghouse guidance, and immediate steps for families when a child is missing.
Reminder
If you are in immediate danger
Call 911 if it is safe to do so. If speaking openly could put you at risk, consider text or web-chat options and use a safer device when possible.
Technology safety matters too. NNEDV Safety Net can help you learn how to identify and protect yourself against digital stalking, covert location sharing like Find My or Life360, and hidden spyware on your devices.
Open NNEDV Safety Net Text "START" to 88788 Call 1-800-799-SAFE
Co-survivor support
Logistical and grief support for surviving families
Remembrance is a journey that often begins with painful logistics. If you have lost a loved one to violence, you do not have to carry the burden alone.
Grief Support and Homicide Loss Communities
Parents of Murdered Children (POMC)
Emotional support, local chapters, and trial accompaniment for anyone grieving a death by violence.
The Compassionate Friends
Dedicated support networks and peer forums for families grieving the loss of a child or sibling.
Survivor Resources
Virtual support groups specialized in homicide loss and resources for navigating police investigations.
Financial Aid and Emergency Planning
National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards
Crucial advice: Do not attempt to clean a biohazard scene yourself. Find your state's agency to apply for financial help covering professional crime scene cleanup, counseling, medical bills, and funeral costs.
3 "A" Bereavement Foundation
Practical, hands-on assistance coordinating with funeral homes and securing emergency funding for burials or cremations.
Creating Public Tributes
Planning a memorial bench or plaque
If you wish to dedicate a bench or tree in a public park to honor a victim, contact your local city's Parks & Recreation Department to ask about its Memorial Dedication Program.
Most municipalities require a sponsorship fee and keep strict plaque character limits, often under 120 characters, so wording usually needs pre-approval.