Local Charlottesville Links:

• Sexual Assault Resource Agency: The Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) is a private, non-profit organization whose volunteers and staff are dedicated to facilitating the healing of sexual assault victims; and to reducing the vulnerabilty of women, children, and men to sexual assault and sexual abuse. SARA's Client Services Program, provides free, confidential emotional support. Services include: crisis intervention, information and referral, counseling, and group counseling, advocacy, and medical/legal accompaniment. In addition to support services, SARA provides education and training to local schools, the general community, and allied professionals through its Educational and Training Program.

• Shelter for Help in Emergency: The Shelter for Help in Emergency offers emergency, temporary housing to victims of domestic violence in need of safety. There are 20 beds available and priority is given to residents of Planning District Ten, which encompasses the city of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson. Maximum stays at the Shelter are six weeks, with each stay evaluated in terms of the client's danger level.

  The Shelter for Help in Emergency operates a 24-hour hotline for victims and survivors who need a safe place to talk, and for families and friends of survivors who may seek information to help their loved one. The hotline number is 434-293-8509 V/TTY (collect calls accepted). Language interpretation is available.

Virginia and DC Links:

• Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance: Virginia's coalition of sexual assault and domestic violence centers and programs.  VSDVAA builds networks, advocates for survivors, and provides education and resources across Virginia.

• Men Can Stop Rape: A DC-area organization that empowers male youth and the institutions that serve them to work as allies with women in preventing rape and other forms of men's violence

• The Empower Program: A Washington DC based organization dedicated to educating girls about their own abilities and rights, including defending themselves against abuse and harassment.

National and International Links:

• Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN): The nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE) and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims, and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

• Amnesty International: Get their 2001 report on violence against woman around the world, Broken bodies, shattered minds: Torture and ill-treatment of women.

• Communities Against Violence Network (CAVNET): This page is an interactive web page - essentially a search engine - linking different sites dedicated to this issue.

• End Violence Against Women Global Forum: This is an archives of the discussions among women around the globe who are working to end violence against women. Managed and funded by the United Nations as part of the Beijing +5 committee. This is a fascinating and important discussion. Women from every continent (except Antarctica!) have participated in this discussion.

• Gerri Gribi's Website: Includes an annotated list of more than 200 recorded songs related to domestic violence and sexual assault. It covers every genre from traditional folk to punk, and includes many links to online lyrics.

• Healing Women Newsletter: A monthly on-line newsletter for women who were sexually abused as children.

• Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch monitors human rights in over 70 countries. Check out their Arrest Now! campaign to arrest war criminals in the former Yugoslavia.

• Media Watch: challenges abusive stereotypes and other biased images commonly found in the media.

• National Organization on Male Sexual Victimization: Dedicated to a safe world, we are an organization of diverse individuals committed through research, education, advocacy and treatment and elimination of all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men.

• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Website of the major national coalition working to end domestic violence.

• Sexual Assault Information Page: A wonderfully comprehensive resource on a host of issues pertaining to sexual assault and abuse. While the site itself is no longer available, an archived version is available here.

• Stop Prisoner Rape: A resource for and about male and female inmates who have been sexually abused.