703-324-5730
TTY 711
Toni Zollicoffer,
Director
SAFETY ALERT – If you are in danger, call or text 911.
The Department of Family Services' Domestic and Sexual Violence Services offers compassionate and comprehensive state-accredited programs for women, men, teens and children who have been affected by domestic and sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking.
Update About Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) During COVID-19
Free, short-term individual and family counseling services are now available via teletherapy. Call us at 703-324-5730 and choose the option for Counseling Services. The DSVS 24-hour hotline is still available 703-360-7273.
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Dating violence is a pattern of behaviors used against a relationship partner that can include physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, financial, and digital abuse. Many teens experience some form of intimate partner violence even before graduating from high school. The purpose of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is to raise public awareness about the impact of dating violence on youth, educate young people about healthy relationships, and encourage the community to get involved to disrupt cycles of violence. Learn more about how Fairfax County observes Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and building healthy relationships.
Toni Zollicoffer took home the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance Hope Award last fall for her work on partner abuse intervention and prevention. Recommendations from the study group she led have already sparked changes in the way local and state agencies address the harm that takes place within intimate partner relationships. Learn more about Toni and her work in the Department of Family Services Domestic and Sexual Violence Services division.
Listen to Stacy Ziebell, program manager of the Countywide Coordination Team with Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, and County Conversation Podcast host Jim Person as they discuss human trafficking misconceptions, gaps in service, and resources and support.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services works with communities to transform society’s response to domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and stalking by challenging oppression, collaborating to inform policy, and providing everybody impacted by violence with equitable access to trauma-informed support, advocacy, education, and a space for healing. Check out this article about the value of working with Fairfax County Domestic and Sexual Violence Division.
Language matters. Language is a tool that helps us convey meaning and connect. We use words to communicate, characterize, and describe everything around us. Nothing may be more personal than the words people use to refer to us through our names and pronouns, which represent key elements of our identity.
We use pronouns and names frequently in our everyday written and verbal communication. Most of us have learned from a young age to use “she/her” for girls and “he/him” for boys. As our society has progressed in understanding gender identity, our language has also evolved. Learn how to model the use of pronouns and why this practice shows respect.
On Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, county and community leaders, including Domestic and Sexual Violence Services’ Angela Yeboah, shared information and impactful stories of the Red Flag Law’s use to prevent gun violence and issued a call-to-action for the community to contact authorities who can act quickly to prevent tragedies. Check out this video to learn more.
Fairfax County now participates in the Hope Card program, a way to enforce a civil protective order and a handy resource for victims of family abuse. A Hope Card is a laminated wallet-sized card that contains all the essential information of an existing, permanent civil protection order.
Hope Cards have been around for a while but they're a new resource in Fairfax County for victims of family violence, intimate partner violence, stalking or sexual assault. The Hope Card can reduce the time on scene for officers responding to incidents of protection order violations, allow officers to verify if there is a valid protective order in place and can provide a sense of security to victims. It also helps keep officers safer by informing law enforcement about weapons involved in the incident resulting in a protective order. Learn more about the Hope Card.
Though it might not be clear from mainstream media, domestic violence is not limited to heterosexual relationships and can affect individuals of all sexual orientations and genders.
In fact, recent research shows intimate partner violence within the LGBTQ+ community occurs at a rate equal to or even higher than that of members of the heterosexual community.
Learn more about domestic violence in the LGBTQ+ community or call the Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline 703-360-7273.
Domestic violence and sexual violence are two separate issues and how they are addressed is different, too. Learn more about how the Department of Family Services’ Domestic and Sexual Violence Services division supports survivors of all forms of gender-based violence.
Note: This video contains images that may be disturbing or triggering.
Learn about sexual assault, domestic violence and how Domestic and Sexual Violence Services supports survivors. Get information about DSVS resources by calling the Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline 703-360-7273.
Ending gender-based violence requires us to see all the aspects of the issue. Often, when we think of intimate partner violence, we envision only bruises or broken bones—things we can see—or perhaps verbal abuse. But domestic violence takes many forms, including financial abuse, a subject that is often overlooked.
The truth is personal safety and economic security are inextricably linked for victims of domestic violence. Research from the Centers for Financial Security shows financial abuse is present in 99 percent of domestic violence cases. Learn more about the intersection of domestic violence and financial abuse, call the Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hotline 703-360-7273.
Raising awareness calls for proactive efforts to increase knowledge of or reshape cultural norms or false perceptions about gender-based violence.
Preventing gender-based violence requires steps to stop violence and abuse from happening in the first place by interrupting the cultural rules, norms, and constructs that support it.
Social change happens when communities are equipped with a better awareness about the issue and understanding of the actions it takes to get there. This equation is solved when individuals, families, communities, and institutions have access to knowledge and tools.
Check out the community engagement toolkit (talking points, social media, videos, articles and more) to spread the word throughout the community about the Department of Family Services Domestic and Sexual Violence Services’ (DSVS) important work and services available.
Volunteers are an integral part of our mission of preventing and ending domestic and sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking. Many of our key services depend upon dedicated volunteers. We could not do the work we do without help from our volunteers.
Be. The. One. to positively impact our community. Connect with us today!
Donations can make a difference! There are two ways you can help.
Learn more about each and make a donation.
Fairfax County Department of Family Services is on FacebookLike and Follow us on Facebook at @FairfaxCountyFamilyServices for news, events, tips, stories and training opportunities. We support families and county residents of all ages and stages of life. Join our online community and engage with us through social media. #FairfaxCountyFamilyServices
Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline