How San Diego Can Support Survivors During Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed every October in the United States to raise awareness of domestic violence, honor survivors, and move communities toward prevention. It’s a time to learn the warning signs of abuse, share confidential resources, and support the local organizations that help people and families find safety and heal.

At SAY San Diego, domestic violence prevention isn’t limited to one month. Since 1971, we’ve partnered with children, parents, and families across San Diego County, and we see every day how violence at home affects a child’s learning, a parent’s health, and a family’s stability. This guide explains what Domestic Violence Awareness Month is, why it matters here in San Diego, and what every neighbor, coworker, and friend can do to help.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For free, confidential support 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Local hotlines and shelters are listed on SAY’s San Diego domestic violence resources page.

What Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is a national observance each October that brings survivors, advocates, and communities together to prevent domestic violence and support those affected by it.

DVAM grew out of the Day of Unity, which the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence first held in October 1981 to connect advocates working to end violence against women and their children. The first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed in October 1987. In 1989, Congress passed Public Law 101-112 designating October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and that designation has been renewed every year since, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence.

Each year, the national Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP) releases a campaign theme, a social toolkit, and shareable awareness materials so organizations and individuals can speak with one voice. Purple is the color of the movement, and many communities mark Purple Thursday in October by wearing purple to show survivors they’re not alone.

What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence, also called intimate partner violence (IPV), is a pattern of behavior one partner uses to gain or keep power and control over another. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies four main types:

• Physical violence: hurting or trying to hurt a partner with physical force
• Sexual violence: forcing or attempting to force a partner into sexual acts or touching without consent
• Stalking: repeated, unwanted attention and contact that causes fear
• Psychological aggression: verbal and non-verbal communication meant to harm a partner mentally or emotionally, or to exert control

Domestic violence happens in every community. It affects people of every age, income, race, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation. It can occur between current or former spouses, dating partners, and teens in their first relationships.

Why Domestic Violence Awareness Month Matters

Domestic Violence Awareness Month matters because domestic violence is common, often hidden, and preventable. Awareness helps people recognize abuse and reach out for help sooner.

National and local data show the scale of the issue:

• More than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 6 men in the U.S. have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime, according to the CDC.
• About 16 million women and 11 million men who have experienced intimate partner violence say it first happened before age 18, according to the CDC.
• About 1 in 5 homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by an intimate partner, according to the CDC.
• About 1 in 15 children were exposed to a physical assault between their parents in a single year, according to a 2011 national study published by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
• In 2024, law enforcement in San Diego County received 15,298 domestic violence calls, according to the San Diego Domestic Violence Council.

Behind every number is a person, and often a child, whose sense of safety has been shaken. DVAM is a reminder that prevention, early support, and a caring community can change that path.

How to Recognize the Signs of Domestic Violence

The most common signs of domestic violence are patterns of control, fear, and isolation, not only physical injuries. Many forms of abuse leave no visible marks.

Advocates often use the Power and Control Wheel, developed by Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs in Duluth, Minnesota. It shows how physical and sexual violence are reinforced by everyday, non-physical tactics. Warning signs that someone may be experiencing abuse include a partner who:

• Checks their phone, email, or location constantly, or demands passwords
• Controls money, transportation, or access to work or school
• Isolates them from friends, family, or community
• Insults, humiliates, or threatens them, their children, or their pets
• Shows extreme jealousy or accuses them of cheating
• Pressures or forces sexual activity without consent
• Threatens to hurt themselves or others if the partner leaves

Abuse can also start with love bombing, an early rush of intense attention, gifts, and promises that builds dependence and makes later coercive control harder to recognize. You might notice that someone you care about seems anxious around their partner, cancels plans often, makes excuses for injuries, or seems to have lost confidence and independence.

How Domestic Violence Affects Children and Families

Children don’t have to be physically hurt to be harmed by domestic violence. Seeing or hearing violence at home can be a source of psychological trauma that affects a child’s emotional well-being, behavior, and social and academic functioning.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) describes children as often the “hidden” victims of intimate partner violence. Some are injured directly, while others are frightened witnesses, and children exposed to it are more likely to face other adversity as well. At home or at school, that stress can show up as challenging behavior, trouble focusing, or strained relationships with peers and with the abusive parent. The good news is that children are resilient. A safe, stable relationship with a caring adult, support for the non-abusive parent, and trauma-informed services all help children heal.

That’s why SAY San Diego’s approach is whole child, whole family, whole community. When parents have support, children are safer. When schools and neighborhoods are connected to services, families can get help earlier.

How Can You Help Someone Experiencing Domestic Violence?

The most helpful thing you can do for a friend, family member, or coworker experiencing abuse is to listen without judgment, believe them, and connect them to confidential support when they’re ready.

1. Start the conversation privately. Choose a safe time and place. Say what you’ve noticed and that you’re worried, without criticizing their partner or pressuring them.
2. Believe them and let them lead. Leaving an abusive relationship is complicated and can be the most dangerous time. Respect their choices, even if they’re not ready to leave.
3. Help them think through a safety plan. A safety plan covers important documents, emergency contacts, a safe place to go, and a way out. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can help create one.
4. Share local resources. SAY’s domestic violence resources page lists hotlines, shelters, and services across North County, Central, East, and South County, including Spanish-language and LGBTQ+ support.
5. Stay connected. Isolation is one of abuse’s most powerful tools. Keep checking in by call, text, or visit when it’s safe.
6. Take care of yourself. Supporting someone through abuse is hard. Practice self-care and reach out for your own support if you need it.

If you ever witness violence in progress, call 911. Being an active bystander, speaking up safely or getting help, can interrupt harm and show survivors their community is behind them.

Where to Find Domestic Violence Help in San Diego

Survivors in San Diego County can get free, confidential help 24 hours a day through national hotlines, plus in-person support from local family justice centers, shelters, and advocacy services.

• Emergency: 911
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), TTY 1-800-787-3224, or text START to 88788
• Teens and young adults: love is respect, the national teen dating abuse helpline: call 1-866-331-9474 or text LOVEIS to 22522
• San Diego Family Justice Center (Your Safe Place): 619-533-6000, weekdays. The City of San Diego’s Family Justice Center offers personalized care plans, help with restraining orders, and trauma-informed support for survivors, regardless of immigration status or income.
• Access & Crisis Line (24/7, Spanish-language available): 888-724-7240
• Full county list: SAY’s San Diego domestic violence resources page, organized by region, with shelters, specialized services, and safety planning tips

If someone is worried their online activity is being monitored, suggest using a safer device, such as a friend’s phone or a library computer, to look for help.

How SAY San Diego Helps Prevent Domestic Violence

SAY San Diego works to prevent and reduce family and domestic violence through prevention, family strengthening, parent support, and connections to trusted local services. We believe violence is not inevitable and that communities can stop it before it starts.

Our work includes:

• Family support in the neighborhood. SAY’s Family Resource Centers connect families to basic needs, behavioral health support, and wellness activities, reducing the stress and isolation that can put families at risk.
• Support for children and teens. Through school-based behavioral health services, SAY clinicians help students process trauma and build coping skills in a setting they already trust.
• Child care for survivors. SAY has partnered with the San Diego Family Justice Center, where our child development team staffed an onsite Child Watch that gave children a safe, positive space while their parents confidentially met with advocates, attorneys, and shelter staff.
• Parent and caregiver support. SAY partners with parents, caregivers, and resource families to strengthen parenting skills, stability, and connection.
• Trusted referrals. SAY staff work alongside county government and community partners to connect participants to crisis care, legal help, and shelter when they need it.

SAY San Diego serves 45,000+ San Diegans each year across 30+ programs, and domestic violence prevention is part of our year-round commitment to safe, healthy families.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2026 in San Diego

This section is designed to be updated each October.

• Dates: October 1–31, 2026
• National theme: The Domestic Violence Awareness Project’s 2026 theme is With Survivors, Always, which calls on individuals and organizations to move from awareness to action. Share it using #WithSurvivors and #DVAM2026.
• Purple Thursday: Thursday, October 15, 2026, a national day to show support for survivors. Wear purple to work, school, or on video calls, and share a photo so survivors know their community is behind them.

Ways to Take Action This Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Anyone in San Diego can take part in Domestic Violence Awareness Month, whether you have five minutes or want to make a lasting commitment.

• Wear purple on Purple Thursday and invite your workplace, school, or team to join.
• Share awareness materials. Post the warning signs, hotline numbers, and SAY’s domestic violence resources on social media. Sharing information with friends and family is one of the first steps in prevention.
• Learn and teach. Talk with your kids and teens about healthy relationships, consent, and respect. Prevention education starts at home.
• Support survivor-centered services. A gift to SAY San Diego helps fund the prevention, family support, and behavioral health services that keep children and families safe. Donate to SAY San Diego.
• Get involved year-round. Explore ways to volunteer, partner, and support SAY San Diego all year, not just in October.
• Advocate for prevention. Support local and state policy work that invests in prevention, early intervention, and survivor services.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Violence Awareness Month

What is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a national observance held every October to raise awareness of domestic violence, honor survivors, and promote prevention. It began as the Day of Unity in 1981, was first observed as a month in 1987, and was officially designated by Congress in 1989. Organizations and communities use the month to share resources and educate the public.

When is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

Domestic Violence Awareness Month takes place every year from October 1 through October 31. Many communities also observe Purple Thursday during October, when people wear purple to show support for survivors. In 2026, Purple Thursday falls on October 15.

What color is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

Purple is the official color of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It represents courage, survival, honor, and a commitment to ending domestic violence. Wearing purple, sharing purple ribbons, or lighting buildings purple in October are simple, visible ways to show survivors they have community support.

What are the signs of domestic violence?

Common signs of domestic violence include a partner who controls money or transportation, monitors phones or location, isolates someone from friends and family, makes threats, or shows extreme jealousy. People experiencing abuse may seem anxious, cancel plans often, or explain away injuries. Many forms of abuse, like emotional and financial control, leave no visible marks.

How can I help a domestic violence victim?

To help someone experiencing domestic violence, listen without judgment, believe them, and respect their decisions. Help them think through a safety plan and share confidential resources, like the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or SAY San Diego’s local domestic violence resources page. Stay in touch, since isolation makes abuse harder to escape.

Domestic violence thrives in silence, and San Diego is stronger when neighbors speak up, check in, and invest in prevention. SAY San Diego has supported children and families across San Diego County since 1971, and your support helps keep that work going all year. Give to SAY San Diego to help families build safer, healthier futures, or explore local domestic violence resources if you or someone you love needs help today.