Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking

Hands holding cell phone — Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking, Human Trafficking

This section includes contacts and information specific to Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking & Human Trafficking.

GENERAL NOTES

Please refer to immediate practical matters for additional urgent needs and concerns. This section gives a quick overview of specific types of crimes or incidents that you may have experienced. At the end of each section is a list of related resources under Agencies involved.

Contact info for agencies involved is in RESOURCES.

Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence (DV or IPV)

Refer to Sexual Assault/Rape section for information on medical care, SANE nurses, Mandatory Reporting, forensic medical exams, victim witness advocacy, and legal advocacy.

Legal Issues:

Specific legal needs may involve: Restraining or protective order or stay away order; Child custody; Divorce/ Separation. There is affordable/free legal help for both civil and criminal legal matters. The NOFJC (Mary Claire’s Place, formerly Crescent House), Project Save, and Tulane Domestic Violence Law Clinic are a few agencies who offer such help [See Civil Legal and Criminal Legal Matters].

Consider working with a trained advocate (from organizations such as the New Orleans Family Justice Center NOFJC, Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response STAR, or Metro Centers for Community Advocacy METRO) to create a safety plan and danger assessment (NOFJC will do one at your intake session). This might include: informing trusted friends/ family/ neighbors/ workmates/ school; having check-in times; documenting evidence of abuse; having extra keys; gathering important documents (or copies) and keeping them in a safe place; having an emergency bag with essentials, medications, and cash. See more information at: https://lcadv.org/safety-planning/.

It is helpful to consult with a victim advocate through an advocacy group like NOFJC, STAR, a medical facility, or a trained attorney who can walk you through this legal process safely, including notifications to employers and/or schools.

A restraining/protective order has various time lengths, depending on the circumstances. It means the abuser cannot contact you at all; they may have to pay temporary child support and/or may have to stay away from children or have supervised visits; may be liable for other payments; may have to relinquish firearms and/or attend a treatment program, etc. Consult with an attorney for more information and assistance. NOFJC and/or STAR can help you with this as well.

Under Gwen’s Law, if someone is arrested for violation of a protective order, domestic abuse, battery, stalking, or another felony offense involving the use of a deadly weapon or force, they have to go before a judge for a hearing to have their bail set.

A DV/IPV victim can request a landlord to release them early from a lease but must have proof of DV happening in the past 30 days, via a restraining order or certification (you can get legal help from NOFJC, or through SLLS, see Legal Assistance starting on page 53).

Personal safety considerations are important [See Immediate Practical Matters]. If you use the internet, remember to clean your internet search history. Refer to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)’s guide for more details: https://www.techsafety.org/resources-survivors

Children: Ask a professional for helpful tips - this might include: Let people know children can only leave with designated people; show kids how to use 911 and alert schools involved. Consult with Children’s Advocacy Centers for comprehensive assistance [See RESOURCES].

Agencies involved

NOPD Special Victims; Orleans District Attorney’s Office DA (after arrest); Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office OPSO (if accused is jailed); Federal agencies (some cases); Docket Master (to track an Orleans criminal court case) and LA Vine (to sign up for victim notifications of custody status); Crime Victims Reparations (CVR) (victim-survivor compensation)

Forensic medical exams (to get a sexual assault/rape kit): NOFJC Hope Clinic, UMC, Tulane Lakeside, Children’s Hospital, Children’s Advocacy Centers

Legal assistance: NOFJC (Mary Claire’s Place, formerly Crescent House), Project Save, Tulane Domestic Violence Law Clinic; SLLS (civil legal aid)

General support: New Orleans Family Justice Center NOFJC; Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response STAR; Metro Centers for Community Advocacy METRO; Arin’s Nesting Place (New Orleans area organization helping victim-survivors of domestic violence); SilenceIsViolence (support groups/services, all types of violence with focus on gun violence); LSR (support groups, all types of violence); UMC Trauma Recovery Center (support groups, all types of violence); StrongHearts (for AIAN individuals, national helpline); VIET (Vietnamese Initiatives, local); Title IX (see College & School Campus Crimes section below); Beyond Harm (restorative approaches and counseling, focused on the person who caused the harm)

For housing/relocation assistance, see our Housing section in RESOURCES

For information on address confidentiality, visit our guide to Louisiana’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)

Stalking

Stalking involves a pattern of behavior (often unpredictable) causing a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of others; or from actions that create substantial emotional distress, such as unwanted contact, monitoring, property damage, threats, etc.

Because the conditions of stalking incidents can vary so widely, contact trained advocacy groups (e.g. NOFJC, STAR, SPARC, RAINN) for more specific information based upon your own circumstances.
Call 911 if you feel you are in immediate danger.
Work with a trained advocate (e.g. STAR, NOFJC) to create a safety plan. They can also help you with filing protection orders if needed (See previous sections focused on Sexual Assault and DV/IPV).
Be aware of technological stalking, and get assistance to secure your personal devices. Refer to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)’s guide to tech safety for survivors: https://www.techsafety.org/resources-survivors
You can go to the SPARC website and anonymously complete their Stalking & Harassment Assessment & Risk Profile (SHARP); they also list other resources and info.

Agencies involved

Legal assistance: NOFJC (Mary Claire’s Place, formerly Crescent House), Project Save, Tulane Domestic Violence Law Clinic; SLLS (civil legal aid)

For housing/relocation assistance, see our Housing section in RESOURCES

For information on address confidentiality, visit our guide to Louisiana’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a federal crime that occurs when someone is exploited for profit via labor services or commercial sex, using “force, fraud or coercion” (FBI definition).

Survivors of human trafficking are often subjected to threats and/or harm; withholding of money; no access to identity documents; being constantly monitored — they are often afraid to ask for help. You can put yourself in danger if you confront a possible trafficker, so if you suspect trafficking, it’s a good idea to call one of the agencies listed below, or 911.

The federal Blue Campaign lists common signs of trafficking: www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/indicators-human-trafficking.

Agencies involved

Hotlines: National Human Trafficking hotline: 1 (888) 373-7888 or text BeFree: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”); Blue Campaign Tip Line: 1 (866) 347-2423; National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1 (800) 843-5678

Forensic medical exams (to get a sexual assault/rape kit): NOFJC Hope Clinic, UMC, Tulane Lakeside, Children’s Hospital, Children’s Advocacy Centers

Legal assistance: NOFJC (Mary Claire’s Place, formerly Crescent House), Project Save, Tulane Domestic Violence Law Clinic; SLLS (civil legal aid)

General Support: New Orleans Family Justice Center NOFJC; Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response STAR; Metro Centers for Community Advocacy METRO; Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force GNOHTTF; Eden Centers for Hope and Healing

For housing/relocation assistance, see our Housing section in RESOURCES

For information on address confidentiality, visit our guide to Louisiana’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)