Get help now
Pippa Helpline: 023 8091 7917
If you, or anyone else, is at immediate risk of harm telephone the police on 999.
There is support available to help whether you decide you are currently experiencing domestic abuse or have recently left an abusive relationship.
The Help to move on section has information about support for the longer term impact of domestic abuse.
We have policies and procedures in place to support council tenants who are affected by controlling, coercive, threatening and violent behaviour in the home. Find out more about our commitments and how to get help.
In case of emergencies please call 999.
Local organisations SHOW
Hampshire Police
If you or someone you know is at risk.
Telephone: 101
Report online: Report to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service on 18001 101.
If there's an immediate risk to someone's safety, please call 999.
PIPPA Helpline
Domestic Abuse helpline.
PIPPA can advise and support assessing risk, safety planning and consent based onward referrals to specialist domestic and sexual violence sector organisations within the city. PIPPA will also speak directly with people seeking support.
Telephone: 023 8091 7917 (Open Monday-Friday, 9.30am-4.30pm)
The Hampton Trust
The Hampton Trust run many projects designed for families, children, young people and individuals.
Telephone: 023 8000 1061
Website: www.hamptontrust.org.uk
Yellow Door
Yellow Door is a registered charity working to support individuals and communities across Southampton and western Hampshire, the services are dedicated to supporting those who have experienced - or are at risk of – abuse. The helpline is open every Wednesday 4-7pm.
Telephone: 023 8063 6312
Website: www.yellowdoor.org.uk
Email: info@yellowdoor.org.uk
Helpline: 023 8063 6313
No Limits
No Limits is a charity which offers free and confidential information, advice, counselling, support and advocacy for children and young people under 26 who live in Southampton and Hampshire.
Telephone: 023 8022 4224
Website: nolimitshelp.org.uk
Email: enquiries@nolimitshelp.org.uk
National organisations SHOW
National Domestic Violence Helpline
Telephone: 0808 2000 247
Website: National Domestic Violence Helpline
Respect: Perpetrator advice line
Telephone: 0808 802 4040
Website: Respect
Respect: Men’s advice line
Telephone: 0808 801 0327
Website: Men's advice line
National Stalking Helpline
Telephone: 0808 802 0300
Website: National Stalking Helpline
National LGBT Domestic Abuse helpline
Telephone: 0800 999 5428
Website: LGBT Domestic Abuse
Forced Marriage Unit
Telephone: 020 7008 0151
Website: Forced Marriage Unit
Karma Nirvana
Honour based violence (HBV) and forced marriage (FM) support.
Telephone: 0800 599 9247
Website: Karma Nirvana
Jewish Women’s Aid
Helpline for Jewish women and girls affected by domestic abuse.
Telephone: 0808 801 0500
Website: Jewish Women's Aid
Nour
Nour specialise in providing Islamic support and advice through Islamic advisors (male and female) who are from a range of different Islamic schools of thought. They support members of the BAME community through a deep understanding and expertise in working with marginalised and 'hidden' communities.
Website: Nour
Southall Black Sisters
Southall Black Sisters offer specialist support, advocacy and information to Asian and Afro-Caribbean women suffering abuse.
Telephone: 020 8571 9595 (Open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Website: Southall Black Sisters
LAWRS
A helpline for Latin American migrant women.
Telephone: 0808 145 4909 (Open 11am-1pm, Monday to Friday)
Website: LAWRS
Deaf Hope
Deaf Hope is the only sign-language based service designed to help deaf women and children who suffer domestic violence.
Text service: 079 7035 0366
Website: Deaf Hope
Domestic Abuse Alliance
Telephone: 0800 101 7110 (Open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Website: Domestic Abuse Alliance
RCJ Advice
RCJ Advice deliver free legal advice to people with a court case in the civil and family courts in England and Wales.
Telephone: 020 3745 7707
Website: RCJ Advice
FLOWS
FLOWS are an England-wide legal advice service which is delivered in partnership with Rights of Women.
FLOWS offers free legal advice and support to front-line workers working with women responding to domestic abuse - and they can advise women themselves.
Telephone: 020 3745 7707
Website: FLOWS
Rights of Women
Rights of Women aim to provide women with the legal advice and information they need to understand and use the law and their legal rights via a free helpline.
Website: Rights of Women
Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA)
SEA work in partnership with the frontline organisations that directly support victim-survivors. SEA support them to identify and respond to economic abuse.
Website: Surviving Economic Abuse
The Suzy Lampugh Trust
The Suzy Lampugh Trust runs the National Stalking Helpline.
Telephone: 0808 080 4994 (Open 9.30am-8pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
Website: Suzy Lampugh Trust
Affordable Justice
Affordable Justice offer legal services for women and calls are free.
Telephone: 0148 271 1003
Website: Affordable Justice
Apps SHOW
Bright Sky
A free app for anyone experiencing domestic abuse or worried about someone else. It helps to spot the signs, know how to respond and help someone to safety.
Download Bright Sky and find links to posters and social media graphics about Bright Sky.
Website: Bright Sky
Hollie Guard
A personal protection app to help keep users safe whether they are working alone, travelling to an unknown place or meeting someone new.
Website: Hollie Guard
Railway Guardian
This free app helps you report crime to British Transport Police and provides information on what to do if you see sexual harassment on trains or at stations.
Website: Railway Guardian
See also: British Transport Police
WEPROTECT
An instant victim referral app, developed by the Domestic Abuse Alliance. It allows anyone to refer a domestic abuse survivor to a team of trained legal advisors.
Website: WEPROTECT
Safety schemes SHOW
Ask for ANI scheme
The Ask for ANI scheme helps those at risk or suffering from domestic abuse to discreetly signal that they need help and access to support.
The scheme is running in thousands of pharmacies across the UK and is backed by the government.
If someone asks for ANI, a trained pharmacy worker will offer that person a private space. They can then ask if that person needs to speak to the police or would like help to access support services, such as a national or local domestic abuse helpline.
You can download posters and guides about Ask for ANI for use in your business:
Website: Ask for ANI scheme
Posters and guides: Ask for ANI posters and guides
Safe Space scheme
The Safe Space scheme offers a private, safe area to people experiencing domestic abuse and is offered in the consulting areas of Boots UK, Morrisons, Superdrug and Well pharmacies, HSBC, TSB banks and independent pharmacies across the UK.
These Safe Spaces are for that person to use as they wish, potentially to reach out to a friend or family member or call a support service.
Website: Safe Spaces scheme
Online Safe Spaces
A discreet pop-up window with support, advice and helpful contacts for those at risk of domestic abuse.
It leaves no internet search history and offers quick options for people to exit the site when needed.
Online Safe Spaces can be used on intranets and can be added to a website.
Website: Online Safe Spaces
Help following sexual abuse SHOW
Rape and sexual abuse is common in abusive relationships. Sexual abuse is unwanted sexual behaviour from one person to another. It can also refer to behaviour such as restricting access to birth control and condoms.
- It is important to know that just because you “did not say no,” it does not mean that you meant “yes.”
- When you do not resist an unwanted sexual advance, it does not mean that you wanted to do it
- Some think that if you did not resist, that it does not count as abuse. That is not true. It still is. Whether you were drunk or using drugs, you were scared or thought you had to, it is not your fault.
Some examples of sexual assault and abuse are
- Unwanted kissing or touching
- Unwanted rough or violent sexual activity
- Rape (deliberate penetration of vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without consent) or attempted rape
- Refusing to use condoms or restricting someone’s access to birth control
- Keeping someone from protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Sexual contact with someone who is very drunk, drugged, unconscious or otherwise unable to give a clear and informed “yes” or “no”
- Threatening someone into unwanted sexual activity
- Pressuring or forcing someone to have sex or perform sexual acts
- Using sexual insults toward someone
- Sexual activity with someone who is not old enough to/does not have the capacity to consent
Yellow Door
Yellow Door is a registered charity working to support individuals and communities across Southampton and western Hampshire, the services are dedicated to supporting those who have experienced - or are at risk of – abuse. Helpline is available on Wednesday’s 4pm – 7pm
Telephone: 023 8063 6312
Website: www.yellowdoor.org.uk
Email: info@yellowdoor.org.uk
Helpline: 023 8063 6313
The Treetops Centre
Treetops is a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Portsmouth, offering medical care and emotional support to victims of rape and serious sexual assault whether they are male, female, adults or children. Information and support on the choice of whether or not to report the assault to police.
The service is confidential and no information will be shared without your consent unless there are safeguarding concerns about a child, young person or vulnerable adult
Telephone: 0300 123 6616
Website: www.solent.nhs.uk/treetops
Email: admin.treetops@solent.nhs.uk
Rape Crisis
Rape Crisis is a national organisation that supports the work of Rape Crisis Centres across England and Wales. They exist to improve services and promote the needs and rights of women and girls who have experienced sexual abuse, rape and all forms of sexual violence. Rape Crisis Centres provide frontline specialist, independent and confidential services for women and girls of all ages who have experienced any form of sexual violence, at any time in their lives.
Telephone: 0808 802 9999
Website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk
Revenge Porn Helpline
A UK helpline supporting adults (those over the age of 18) who are victims of intimate image abuse and who have had their intimate images and videos shared without consent, or when someone is threatening to do this.
Telephone: 0345 6000 459 Mon – Fri – 10am – 4pm
Website: revengepornhelpline.org.uk
Email: help@revengepornhelpline.org.uk
Honour-based abuse SHOW
Honour-based abuse is defined as a crime or incident which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and / or the community. It is a collection of practices used to control behaviour and includes Forced Marriage (FM) and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Honour-based abuse can affect both men and women, and cuts across a number of cultures and communities. It is closely associated with domestic abuse and child protection matters.
Issues such as dress, choice of friends, relationships with members of the opposite sex and career choice (among others) could all impact on a family's honour. Violence and abuse can occur when family members perceive that a relative has shamed the family and/or community by breaking their honour code – this is honour-based abuse.
There are many examples of how honour-based abuse can affect someone's life including being isolated from local communities, not being allowed independence, forced into marriage or under duress from their family.
Honour-based abuse can result in the following
- Common assault
- Domestic abuse
- Forced marriage
- Cruelty to persons under 16 (including neglect and abandonment)
- Theft (eg passport)
- Child abduction
- Abduction of an unmarried girl under the age of 16 from parent or guardian
- Abduction of a woman by force or for the sake of her property
- Rape
- Aiding and abetting a criminal offence
- Kidnapping
- False imprisonment
- Female Genital Mutilation
- Murder
For advice and assistance
Karma Nirvana
Helpline supporting victims of honour-based abuse & forced marriage.
Telephone: 0800 5999 247
Website: karmanirvana.org.uk
Email: info@karmanirvana.org.uk
If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
Female genital mutilation SHOW
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is any procedure designed to alter or injure a girl's (or woman’s) genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is sometimes known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘female genital cutting’. It is mostly carried out on young girls.
FGM procedures can cause
- Severe bleeding
- Infections
- Problems with giving birth later in life - including the death of the baby
FGM is illegal in the United Kingdom – it is also illegal to take a British National or permanent resident abroad for FGM or to help someone trying to do this. The maximum sentence for carrying out FGM or helping it to take place is 14 years in prison.
Call the FGM helpline if you're worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM.
FGM Helpline
Telephone: 0800 028 3550
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
Email: fgmhelp@NSPCC.org.uk
If you or anyone is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.
Forced marriage SHOW
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. It is an appalling and indefensible practice and is illegal in Great Britain. It is recognised as a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights. A marriage must be entered into with the free and full consent of both parties; you should feel you have a choice.
An arranged marriage is not the same as a forced marriage. In an arranged marriage, the families take a leading role in choosing the partner, but both parties are free to choose whether to enter into the marriage or not. The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical (including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence) or emotional and psychological (for example, when someone is made to feel like they’re bringing shame on their family). Financial abuse (taking your wages or not giving you any money) can also be a factor. In some cases people may be taken abroad without knowing that they are to be married. When they arrive in that country, their passport(s)/travel documents may be taken to try to stop them from returning to the UK.
If you or someone you know is being forced into a marriage, help and advice is available.
Organisations that can help
Forced Marriage Unit
The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) is a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office unit which leads on the government’s forced marriage policy, outreach and casework. It operates both inside the UK (where support is provided to any individual) and overseas (where consular assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals).
The FMU operates a public helpline to provide advice and support to victims of forced marriage as well as to professionals dealing with cases. The assistance provided ranges from safety advice, through to helping a forced marriage victim prevent their unwanted spouse moving to the UK (‘reluctant sponsor’ cases). In extreme circumstances the FMU will assist with rescues of victims held against their will overseas.
You can call:
(+44) (0) 207 008 0151 - Monday – Friday 9-5pm
(+44) (0) 207 008 1500 - Out of hours
Email: fmu@fco.gov.uk
Website: www.gov.uk/stop-forced-marriage
As well as the Forced Marriage Unit, there are a number of organisations that can give you confidential advice and information.
Karma Nirvana
Helpline supporting victims of honour-based abuse & forced marriage
Telephone: 0800 5999 247
Website: karmanirvana.org.uk
Email: info@karmanirvana.org.uk
Halo Project
The Halo Project Charity is a national charity that aims to respond to cases of Forced Marriage across the UK. Halo provides specialist support to victims of forced marriages and those suffering domestic abuse in the name of honour.
Telephone: 01642 683 045
Website: www.haloproject.org.uk
