Coalition in Alabama focused in Intimate Partner Violence/ Domestic Violence.
Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ACADV)
Phone: (334) 832-4842
Email: info@acadv.org
State Hotline 1-800-650-6522
Shelters and Local Hotlines
The ACADV’s shelter programs offer temporary emergency shelter and transitional housing, individual counseling and peer support groups and connections to community and legal resources.
2nd Chance Counties Served: Etowah, Cleburne, Calhoun, Talladega
(256) 236-7233 Crisis Line / (256) 236-7381 Office
Asha Kiran*Counties Served: Madison
(256) 509-1882 Crisis Line / (256) 698-4446 Office
Crisis Center of Russell County Counties Served: Russell
(334) 297-4401 Crisis Line / (334) 297-4435 Office
Crisis Services of North Alabama Counties Served: Limestone, Madison, Jackson, Morgan
(256) 716-1000 Crisis Line / (256) 716-4052 Office
Daybreak Counties Served: Walker
(205) 387-1157 Crisis Line/Office
Domestic Violence Intervention CenterCounties Served: Randolph, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Lee, Macon
(334) 749-1515 Crisis Line/Office
Family Sunshine Center Counties Served: Chilton, Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery, Lowndes, Butler, Crenshaw
(334) 263-0218 Crisis Line / (334) 206-2100 Office
Harbor Haus/Victim Services of Cullman Counties Served: Cullman
(256) 734-6100 Crisis Line / (256) 775-2600 Office
House of Ruth Counties Served: Bullock, Barbour, Pike, Coffee, Dale, Henry, Houston, Geneva, Covington
(334) 793-2232 Crisis Line / (334) 793-5214 Office
Kelley’s Rainbow Counties Served: Marshall, DeKalb, Cherokee
(256) 891-0019 Crisis Line / (256) 891-9864 Office
Penelope House Counties Served: Washington, Mobile, Clarke, Choctaw
(251) 342-8994 Crisis Line / (251) 342-2809 Office
SABRA Sanctuary Counties Served: Perry, Dallas, Wilcox, Sumter, Marengo, Greene
(334) 874-8711 Crisis Line / (334) 877-4645 Office
SafeHouse of Shelby County Counties Served: Shelby, Clay, Coosa
(205) 669-7233 Crisis Line / (205) 669-1877 Office
Safeplace Counties Served: Lauderdale, Colbert, Lawrence, Winston, Marion, Franklin
(256) 767-6210 Crisis Line / (256) 767-3076 Office
The Lighthouse of Baldwin County Counties Served: Escambia, Baldwin, Conecuh, Monroe
(251) 947-6008 Crisis Line / (251) 947-6197 Office
Turning Point Counties Served: Lamar, Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Bibb, Hale
(205) 758-0808 Crisis Line/Office
YWCA Domestic Violence ServicesCounties Served: Blount, St. Clair, Jefferson
(205) 322-4878 Crisis Line / (205) 322-9922 Office
*culturally specific service for foreign born survivors
Legal Services
These offices offer free legal assistance to people in civil cases (including cases involving domestic violence) who cannot afford to pay a lawyer. Call the Legal Services Alabama (LSA) Statewide Intake Hotline at (866) 456-4995 or the most convenient LSA office below to ask for further help.
Montgomery 2567 Fairlane Drive, Suite 200, Montgomery, AL 36116 (334) 832-4570
Birmingham 1820 Seventh Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203 (205) 328-3540
Mobile 104 St. Francis Street, Suite 700, Mobile, AL 36602 (251) 433-6560
Anniston 1047 Hamric Drive East, Oxford, AL 36203 (800) 884-0595
Selma 801 Alabama Avenue, Suite 250, Selma, AL 36701 (800) 644-6028
Huntsville 1115 Church Street NW, Suite F, Huntsville, AL 35801 (256) 536-9645
Tuscaloosa 2315 9th Street, Suite 3A, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 (888) 440-3256
Dothan 224 West Main Street, Dothan, AL 36301 (334) 793-7932
For More Information: Click here to view a complete list of Alabama Circuit Courts by county.
Common Myths and Facts
Myth 1: Domestic violence does not affect many people.
Fact: It is the single most common source of injury to women, more common than automobile accidents, muggings, and rape by a stranger combined.
Myth 2: His violence is temporary. Battering is only a momentary loss of temper.
Fact: Battering is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through acts of violence and other forms of abuse. The batterer uses a series of behaviors, including physical force, verbal threats and psychological abuse to coerce and control the other person.
Myth 3: Domestic violence only occurs in poor, urban areas.
Fact: No state, no city, no community and no neighborhood is immune from domestic violence. Perpetrators and victims come from all races, religions, cultures, age groups and socioeconomic levels.
Myth 4: Domestic violence is just a push, slap or punch – it does not produce serious injuries.
Fact: Domestic violence can lead to fatalities. A large portion of rapes, physical assaults and ongoing abuse cases committed against women by intimate partners result in injury and the need for medical care.
Myth 5: If an abusive relationship gets bad enough, the victim will leave.
Fact: Many women do not want the relationship to end; they want the violence to end. Factors like financial, religious, cultural and family pressures and/or fear of court or police involvement may keep a woman in the relationship. She may have tried to leave and he threatened to harm her more if she leaves him.
Myth 6: Maybe if he just got help for substance abuse, he’d stop abusing her.
Fact: Problems with alcohol and drug use may intensify violent behavior, but it does not cause it. Batterers are abusive with or without these substances. Abusers want all the power and control in the relationship and that is their motivation. Taking away the alcohol, does not stop the abuse.
Myth 7: If a victim wants your help, she will ask for it.
Fact: A victim may be too embarrassed or humiliated to ask for help. Women in violent homes are often isolated from friends and family by their abusers. The abuser wants total control and does not want her talking to others. It is important to continue to reach out to her and let her know you care.
Myth 8: With loyalty and love, you can make him change. There will be more good times.
Fact: You may think you can get him to change his behavior if you are the “perfect” partner. Qualified intervention programs may provide the knowledge and skills to stop violent behavior, but only the abuser can decide whether he will use this newfound understanding to fix his patterns of abuse.
Myth 9: The violence will likely happen less and become decreasingly severe over time.
Fact: Studies show that over time, without intervention, violence in the relationship is likely to get worse – more frequent and more dangerous.
Myth 10: If you are struggling with a relationship, you will benefit from couples counseling.
Fact: Joint counseling does NOT work in violent relationships! Often, it can even be dangerous. If the victim speaks candidly to the counselor, she may suffer more abuse when she gets home. Domestic violence is the sole responsibility of the abuser. He needs to work on the issue in a specialized program for abusers.
DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is a deliberate pattern of controlling and coercive conduct that serves to deprive victims of safety and autonomy. Perpetrators use abusive tactics to reinforce their “rules” and maintain absolute power and control over their intimate partners.
Women are at a significantly greater risk of intimate partner violence than men. In 2013, Alabama data showed 79 percent of the victims of domestic violence cases reported by state law enforcement agencies were females. For this reason, male pronouns are used on this website to refer to abusers and female pronouns are used to refer to victims.
Common Abuse Tactics:
- Seeks control of the thoughts, beliefs and conduct of their partner.
- Restricts all of the victim’s rights and freedoms.
- Punishes their partner for breaking their “rules” or challenging their authority.
- Minimizes and denies the seriousness of their violence.
- Believes they are entitled to control their partner.
- Uses anger, alcohol/drug use and stress as excuses for their abusive behaviors.
- Blames the behavior of the victim and/or problems in the relationship for the violence.
A Message to Victims:
- You are not to blame for being beaten and abused.
- You are not the cause of another person’s violent behavior.
- You deserve to have your feelings and experiences acknowledged as real and valid.
- You deserve to be treated with respect and to be asked rather than “ordered”.
- You deserve a safe and happy life free from emotional abuse or physical threat.
- You are not alone.
- You can ask others for help.
- You have options.
Safety Planning
- Yourself
- Children and Teens
- Dating
- A Friend
The most common question asked about domestic violence victims is — “Why does she stay?”This question puts the responsibility back on the victim and shows a misunderstanding of the dynamics of domestic violence. No one deserves to be abused or threaten. She is a victim and is not to blame. A more appropriate question would be: “Why does he abuse her?” or “Why can’t he be stopped from hurting his family?”
Women stay in abusive relationships for many reasons. Guilt and fear are major factors. She may convince herself that it is ok because he has a hard life, that he needs her or that it is her fault. She may fear harm to her reputation, the safety of her children, retaliation, more severe abuse or that he will take her life.If you know someone who is being abused, let her speak confidentially about her situation. You may be the only person with whom she feels comfortable.
Address the Following:
- Show her you care and extend emotional support.
- Listen to her, believe her and do not blame her for the abuse.
- Advise her not to deny or minimize the seriousness of the abuse.
- Suggest she call the Alabama Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-650-6522 for help.
- Inform her about resources in her community for victims of domestic violence.
- Let her keep important papers and extra clothes at your house.
- Assure your friend that the violence in her home concerns you. Let her know you are afraid for her safety/life.
- Learn about domestic violence and help your friend understand she is not alone
- Encourage her to develop a safety plan and think of ways to escape quickly.
- Focus on her strengths and remind her she deserves better.
Look for These Signs:
- Have you noticed evidence of injuries and improbable explanations?
- Have you noticed her missing work frequently?
- Have you noticed changes in her or her children’s behavior?
- Does her partner show an unusual amount of control over her life?
- Does her partner embarrass or ridicule her in public?
- Does her partner blame her for the way he acts or the things he says?