Helpline for victims of (domestic) violence

We provided instant individual, discreet, professional and non-stop assistance to individuals at risk of and affected by domestic violence through a free phone line. The capacity of the new switchboard and free-of-charge calls enable many more people to receive timely help; moreover, persons fully economically dependent on a violent person, people in a difficult social situation and homeless people can reach help over the phone. The fact that the calls are free does not limit the length of the consultation in serious cases. The achieved change is described in the final study of the project and is compared to the data on paid calls. There was a media campaign targeted at the free expert phone line and its target groups. For helping professionals (law enforcement bodies, social workers, doctors, probation and mediation services, non-governmental organisations, etc.), we created instruction cards and organised training seminars (one in each region of the Czech Republic). The aim was also to positively influence the attitudes of the professional public towards those affected by domestic violence, as they are often the first ones to come in contact with these victims.