If you are a victim of domestic violence, there are many support groups available for you - With help targeted toward others with whom you may share a common bond.

In July 2008, the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) began a statewide expansion of resources on the Maryland Community Services Locator website (www.mdcsl.org). The MDCSL is an interactive online directory developed to assist professionals and community members in locating community services. It allows users to get organizational contact information and other details, map resources by location, and get instant directions to programs. Since its launch, this website has expanded to include more than 3,400 services and programs that are

periodically verified for accuracy by MDCSL staff. In addition to the resources included when the MDCSL first launched, (i.e. Substance Abuse Services and Short-Term Housing), it now includes new listings for topics such as Job Readiness/Adult Education Services, Health/Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse Prevention, Family Assistance, Victim Services, and many others. 

Visit the MDCSL website at: http://www.mdcsl.org/.

Local domestic victim support groups, counseling, hotlines and shelters
Maryland has a strong network of nonprofit domestic violence providers who can help you with all aspects of a domestic violence situation. This directory will help you find the closest resource or you may wish to seek help outside your county.

Help for sexual assult victims
TurnAround, Inc. is a private non-profit organization dedicated to serving victims of rape, child sexual assault, domestic violence, and adult survivors of child sexual abuse. This organization offers free counseling, shelter, free and reduced cost legal representation, a hotline, ER companion services, which is a 24-hour service that provides a trained companion who offers support and information at the hospital to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and support groups for survivors of domestic violence. Pets are also accepted at the shelter at Turn Around.

Women and Verbal Abuse
Cyber Parent is a commercial family site. This section offers information on verbal, emotional, and mental abuse, as well as book reviews on resources about verbal abuse. Characteristics of verbal abusers are described and advice on how to respond to it is offered.

Ask a doctor
Dr. Irene Matiatos is a psychiatrist in NY. All material on this site is intended for educational purposes and must not be considered a substitute for informed advice from your own health care provider. If you think you may be in an abusive relationship or may be abusive yourself, this site is worth a visit. It provides information on abuse and pop culture, codependency, and signs of both healthy and abusive relationships.

A Sanctuary
This web page is published by Stalking Survivors’ Sanctuary and Solutions, a non-profit organization based in California. The purpose of the Stalking Victims Sanctuary is to educate people about stalking and to offer sanctuary to those exposed to stalking. The site offers resources for victims who want to take back their lives.

Department of Justice and Domestic Violence
The U.S. Department of Justice Violence Against Women Office has an extensive site providing information on state, regional, and national resources. Links to police departments with domestic violence pages, fact sheets, and many other Internet resources can be found here. It also includes a lot of government information on domestic violence including legislation, reports and studies, speeches and press releases.

Montgomery County Abused Person's Program                                                                                       Provides a 24 hour crisis line (240) 777-4673, counseling to victims, emergency shelter, community education, and fees are based on your ability to pay.  No one is denied due to lack of funds. 

Information and resources for battered men
This website maintained by Bert Hoff offers survivor stories and information about domestic violence against men. This site has latest research findings on battered men, statistical reports, and also presents several reasons why men sometimes overlook this issue. There is also a list of signs indicating domestic violence for men.

Domestic Violence: Another Perspective
Men’s Health is an educational nonprofit volunteer website which serves a diverse men’s community on hundreds of men's issues, events, periodicals, and groups. One of they issues they address is battered men. This website was compiled by them and provides information for men who are abused and men who are batterers.

Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men
Toll-free crisis line and referral services to victims of spousal or intimate partner abuse.

Love is not abuse
Liz Claiborn Inc., a women's clothing manufacturer, has a foundation dedicated to addressing women's issues. This website is maintained by Liz Claiborn and is aimed at spreading dating violence awareness among teens and parents. It has useful information on how parents should talk to their teens, and how teens should handle dating violence.

Love doesn't have to hurt teens
This site is supported by the American Psychological Association with consultation from the Partners in Program Planning in Adolescent Health. It makes a clear distinction between what is and what is not appropriate behavior in a relationship. There is also useful information for friends of suspected victims of dating violence.

Warning signs of abuse in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered relationships
This is a private website owned by D.J. Ronnenberg. The site lists warning signs that indicate that you may be in an abusive relationship and offers links to other pages that provide domestic violence information.  

Characteristics of domestic violence in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered relationships
LAMBDA is a non profit agency dedicated to "reducing homophobia, hate crimes and GLBT discrimination by encouraging self-acceptance, cooperation and non-violence." This website provides information about how GLBT domestic violence differs from heterosexual domestic violence and offers a hotline to call if you need help.

He loves me, he loves me not
Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project is a non-profit, grassroots organization. It provides community education about domestic violence and direct services to people. This group is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The site has some survivor stories and also presents similarities and differences between same gender domestic violence and opposite gender domestic violence.

Information on domestic violence for black or African-American women
BlackWomensHealth.com is a private company which states that its mission is "to become the premier Internet site dedicated to promoting the physical, mental and spiritual wellness of today’s African American woman." This website offers statistics on domestic violence and illustrates how domestic violence affects the African-American community in the United States.

Asian (Women’s) Self-Help Association (ASHA)—description of services
The website by this non-profit organization outlines the counseling, shelter, emergency loan, and legal referral services offered by ASHA in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area.

Ellimination of Domestic Violence in Latino Communities
Alianza is an organization that "works toward the elimination of domestic violence within the Latino community". This website, available in both Spanish and English, includes information on resources for victims and programs and services. There is also a section with survivor stories.

St. Vincent de Paul has a bilingual program, Adelante Familia, that provides a domestic violence prevention and crisis intervention services to Spanish speaking immigrant families.

Native Americans and Domestic Violence
The National Organization for Women (NOW), a national non-profit advocacy group dedicated to the rights of women, offers an informative article by Lisa Bhungaliaabout how domestic violence affects Native American women.