Aside from what opheelia said (and said very well), sometimes calling the police is not the right answer. The police might be more frightening than the abuser, especially if the victim is an undocumented immigrant, sex worker, illegal drug user, or in any other way on the wrong side of the law. The abuser may be a…

They provide assistance to the person being abused (help them plan an escape, find a shelter, etc.) You can also call them at any time - if you call the police while you are not being actively assaulted, there’s not much they can do for you.

Echoing other commenters that the Hotline is a powerful resource for victims, and also wanted to add that family, friends, etc. can call to get guidance on how to SAFELY support a person experiencing abuse. If you know or suspect that someone in your life is being abused, the Hotline is a great place to start. They…

911 helps you deal with the guy in front of you with a weapon.

But 911 doesn’t help you deal with where you’re going to live tomorrow when you leave or how you’ll be able to not get charged with kidnapping while protecting any minor children, or finding the strength to leave when you’re so broken down from the…

Someone else laid out the basics, but a good example would be a scenario where someone is in a violent relationship, and wants to leave. But they don’t have a car, money for a taxi, don’t live near public transportation, etc. They could conceivably call this number and get connected to resources to help them move to a…

If it’s an immediately dangerous situation, the call-takers will tell you to hang up and call 911. The hotline primarily exists to provide support and information to victims and their families/friends. They help with safety planning and finding local resources, and they just listen to people talk about their…

This is horrible. That poor young woman. Her poor family. I hope this man goes to prison for a very, very long time.

Always fun.

But it’s federal charges, right? Can’t the feds charge per image or is my bestowed by Law and Order: SVU juris degree wrong?

...

Saved my life. Never thought it could happen to me, but a small piece of food got stuck and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. My husband after multiple tries, dislodged the food and it flew from my mouth. I spent the next half hour comforting my terrified child who, for a moment, thought she was watching her mother die.…

BBC says he’s used it twice in practice

Where else is it more appropriate to have a hotel called ‘The D’ other than Vegas? ;-)

Yikes. Hope it wasn’t too bad! I’ve done the thing where I was bitching about my friend’s bratty behavior and I texted HER the text about her. Hahahahaha. But it actually worked out better that way. I was relieved to just let her know how I really felt :)

Even here, where guilt is beyond a shadow of doubt, I ask that the sentence be life imprisonment. I am no murderer, no matter how justified the state may think it is, and I want nobody killing anyone in my name, under the guise of “the people.”

“Solid coverage” is relative. I have a disabled spouse. I work for a fucking pharmaceutical company and have decent insurance. The co-pays for medication are still hefty. I can afford it, but it isn’t inconsequential. These things add up quickly.

Well fuck. I hope they’re not too hard on him.

HAHAHA. That was a proper outloud laugh in real life. That mental image is priceless. It’s actually after a garden ornament I was (and forever am) trying to get my husband to agree to - it looks like a hippo skimming through your grass as if it’s a river (so you only see the top bits of said hippo). So, you could step…

There’s really no hard evidence that Hillary has been awful to the women Bill had affairs with.

I’m sweet on someone who has a girlfriend. I think they started seeing each other after he and I met (I think he was interested in me, but we dropped the ball), and last I checked they lived together. I’d rather be friends with both of them than not friends with him, but I have no idea if either of them are ok with…