National Street Harassment Hotline

~ en español ~

Due to the rising costs of running the hotline, as of Dec. 2022, the hotline is now only available between 12 p.m. and 12 a.m. ET. Thank you.

Call toll-free: 855-897-5910

Visit the online hotline to receive help over secure, anonymous IM chat. It is compatible with smartphones, tablets, computers and other internet-enabled devices (English | Spanish)
Help is available between 12pm and 12am ET (as of Dec. 2022).

ABOUT THE HOTLINE

With Defend Yourself and Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), in July 2016 we launched a gender-based street harassment national hotline.

RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which provides confidential support those impacted by sexual violence in both Spanish and English. The hotline is available via online chat and by phone from 12pm to 12am ET. SSH and Defend Yourself trained RAINN staff who answer the National Street Harassment Hotline.

“We are thrilled about this new partnership and the ability to provide a safe space for those impacted by street harassment to receive help and appropriate resources,” said RAINN’s vice president for victim services, Jennifer Marsh.

Gender-based street harassment affects at least 65% of women and 25% of men in the USA, and it starts at a young age. It can range from catcalls and unwanted sexualized and homophobic comments to illegal acts like following, flashing, groping and sexual assault.

“Until now, there has not been a go-to place for people facing gender-based street harassment to find help. They want to know things like how to respond if they’re harassed, what their rights are under the law, or to generally receive emotional support,” said Holly Kearl, founder of SSH. “SSH is so pleased to be partnering with these two organizations to create that system of support.”

A growing body of research shows that street harassment negatively impacts women emotionally. It can be traumatic for them, especially for survivors of sexual abuse. “Mild” street harassment can escalate into physical harassment without warning and many women and some men have an underlying fear that verbal harassment will become physical. In January 2016, there were two cases – in Texas and Pennsylvania – of street harassment escalating into murder. In late March 2016, a mother in California was shot in the stomach by street harassers whom she confronted for harassing her teenage daughter.

“Street harassment is probably the No. 1 problem that brings women and teen girls to our classes,” says Lauren R. Taylor, director of Defend Yourself. “They desperately need alternatives to ignoring it. With this hotline, we can empower people by sharing skills – and increasing options – for dealing with harassment in public spaces.”

_______________________________________________________

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS:

Many of the resources will be available in Spanish for Spanish speakers to the hotline thanks to the translation help from these volunteers:

Carla Avenia Koency (carla@linguaboutique.com)
Mariana Diaz Fernandez
Jose Roberto Orellana
Rebecca Smyth
Yuriana Sobrino

THANK YOU, DONORS:

The hotline is possible because of donations by the following individuals: