RESOURCES
Help exists. It's confidential,
and it's free.
You do not have to be in crisis to call any of these. You do not have to have decided anything. You can just ask a question.
⚠️ If you are in immediate danger, call emergency services.
In the United States, that is 911. If you cannot speak safely, many areas support texting 911 — and every state supports text-to-988 for crisis support. Broken Badge is a podcast. We are not an emergency service, we do not monitor messages, and we cannot respond to a crisis.
IMMEDIATE SUPPORT
National domestic violence resources
Confidential. Free. Available whether or not you are ready to do anything about it yet.
24/7 · CONFIDENTIAL
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Broken Badge is produced in partnership with Entertainment to Affect Change, a New York-based nonprofit that works with charities and creators to make content that drives change. Placeholder copy — confirm final partner language and logo usage with E2AC.
Call 1-800-799-7233 · Text START to 88788
24/7 · CONFIDENTIAL
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential crisis support for anyone in emotional distress — not only for suicidal crisis. Available by call, text, or chat.
Call or text 988
24/7 · CONFIDENTIAL
Strong Hearts Native Helpline
Culturally appropriate domestic and sexual violence support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Call 1-844-762-8483
24/7 · CONFIDENTIAL
love is respect
Support for young people navigating dating abuse and unhealthy relationships, by phone, text, or chat.
Call 1-866-331-9474 · Text LOVEIS to 22522
BY NEED
Find the right kind of help.
Categories from the brief, ready for the team's approved links. Structure is built — content pending approval.
Immediate support
Crisis lines, chat, and text services available now — see the national list above.
Safety planning
A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan for staying safer — whether you are staying, preparing to leave, or already out. Advocates build these with you, free.
Legal information
Protective orders, custody, and your rights. Placeholder — pending team-approved links to qualified legal information providers.
Survivor advocacy
Organizations that will stand with you through the process. Placeholder — pending team-approved links.
Law enforcement family resources
Support built for the specific situation this series is about — including options that do not route through a local department. Placeholder — pending team approval.
Mental health support
Counseling and trauma-informed care, including for children in the household. Placeholder — pending team-approved links.
FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
If someone tells you.
Most people get one chance to respond well. Here's what advocates say matters — placeholder guidance, pending review by a qualified professional.
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Believe them. Say so out loud — "I believe you" is not a small sentence.
Let them lead. You do not need the whole story, and asking for it can feel like an interrogation they have already been through.
Ask what would help, rather than deciding. Then keep showing up — the offer that matters is the one still open in six months.
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"Why don't you just leave?" — This puts the responsibility on them and the answer is almost never simple. Leaving is often the most dangerous moment."Are you sure?" or "That doesn't sound like him." — Doubt at this moment can close the door for years.
Ultimatums. Telling someone you will not be there unless they act on your timeline removes the one support they had.
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Think about their safety before your convenience: how you contact them, what you write down, and what you say to other people all carry risk.
Do not confront the person causing harm. It can escalate the danger for the person you are trying to help.
Call an advocate yourself. Hotlines will talk to friends and family too — you can get advice without ever using their name.
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Money, housing, children, immigration status, pets, disability, and community all tie a person in place. Abuse frequently removes the resources leaving would require — that is often the point.
Risk rises at separation. Advocates plan around this because it is the pattern, not the exception.
And in the situations this series covers, the person leaving may also be leaving the only institution their whole community trusts. Read more on The Issue.
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNITIES
For departments, officers, spouses, and families.
This series is not an argument that officers are the problem. It is an argument that this specific failure is fixable — and much of the push for that comes from inside.
Policy and training resources
Model policies for officer-involved domestic violence, response protocols, and training programs. Placeholder — pending team-approved partner links.
If you are worried about a colleague
What you can do, what your obligations may be, and where to get advice confidentially. Placeholder — pending team approval.
Support outside the department
Confidential services that are independent of your partner's employer. Placeholder — pending team approval.
Peer and family networks
Organizations run by and for public-safety families. Placeholder — pending team approval.