Official Site of The State of New Jersey
DOW administers sexual violence funding to agencies throughout New Jersey for crisis intervention and supportive services for sexual assault victims and survivors and their significant others. Agencies provide free and confidential services for victims and survivors over the age of 13, as well as family, household members, and others affected by the victimization regardless of when the violence occurred or if the individual reports the violence to authorities.
DOW also provides technical assistance to agencies and collaborates with government and non-government agencies to ensure relevant and trauma-informed services, and to plan and implement programs that meet the needs of victims and survivors.
Sexual violence providers provide the following services:
- 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention
- Basic needs (hygiene, clothing, food)
- 24-hour accompaniment to hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and courts
- Victim advocacy (financial, employment, education, legal, medical)
- Counseling (individual and group)
- Interpretation and translation
- Transportation
- Community education and training
Funding: Federal (Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), Prevention and Public Health Fund (SOSA))
Legislation: NJSA 2C:14-2; Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
- Atlantic County – AVANZAR
- Bergen County – YWCA of Northern New Jersey
- Burlington County – CONTACT of Burlington County
- Camden County – Center for Family Services
- Cape May County – CARA (Coalition Against Rape & Abuse)
- Cumberland County – Center for Family Services
- Essex County – Family Service League
- Gloucester County – Center for Family Services
- Hudson County – Hudson S.P.E.A.K.S. (CarePoint Health)
- Hunterdon County – SAFE in Hunterdon
- Mercer County – Younity (formerly WomanSpace, Inc.)
- Middlesex County – Middlesex County Center for Empowerment
- Monmouth County – 180 Turning Lives Around, Inc.
- Morris County – Atlantic Health System
- Ocean County – St. Francis Community Center
- Passaic County – Until further notice, please contact the statewide hotline at 1-800-601-7200 to find the nearest provider
- Peace of Mind Foundation (coming soon)
- Salem County – Salem County Women's Services
- Somerset County – Safe and Sound
- Sussex County – Domestic Abuse Services, Inc. (DASI)
- Union County – Union County Rape Crisis Center
- Warren County – Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center
- Statewide – New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA)
Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence Overview
Since 2015, the New Jersey State Legislature has committed funds to specifically address the statewide prevention of sexual violence. Each sexual violence provider has a Prevention Coordinator that is tasked with developing community action plans, collaborating with county prevention coalition, and overseeing primary prevention programming. Primary prevention programming focuses on strategies that prevent sexual violence on an individual level of the Socio-Ecological Model of Health.
Rape Prevention Education Overview
In September 2018, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released the new five-year Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) grant which has shifted the implementation of primary prevention initiatives. RPE is focusing on building community and individual level strategies in three separate areas:
- Girls’ leadership development;
- Creating protective environments for the LGBTQ+ community; and
- Engaging men and boys as allies.
