The Online Hotline
About the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline
The Online Hotline provides live, secure, anonymous crisis support for victims of sexual violence, their friends, and families over RAINN's website. The Online Hotline is free of charge and is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week!
Please click here to be transferred to the Online Hotline.
How It Works
Using a secure and anonymous instant-messaging type format, the Online Hotline allows victims of sexual violence to communicate directly with trained crisis support volunteers.
All trained volunteers have successfully completed state-mandated training and have extensive training in providing online support. Online Hotline supervisors continually monitor sessions for quality control.
In addition, the Online Hotline website provides a library of information about recovery, medical issues, the criminal justice process, local resources, and support for family and friends of victims.
Please click here to take a tour of the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.
Uniquely Designed to Ensure Privacy
Privacy and confidentiality are of the utmost importance. We worked with our technology partners to build an innovative communications infrastructure from the ground up that integrates security and anonymity at every level.
The Online Hotline's custom built application does not capture the IP address of users, so sessions can't be traced back to them. And, transcripts of sessions are never stored, so there is no accessible information to cause further harm.
The website also provides detailed instructions for all users on how to clear private data from their computers after visiting our site.
How You Can Help
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Be an Online Hotline Volunteer.
Help us provide live crisis support through the Online Hotline by becoming a trained volunteer.
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Become an Online Hotline Partner Crisis Center.
We encourage all local crisis centers to participate in this groundbreaking service and help us reach more of those in need.
“I did the online hotline and it was so good to get my questions answered and know recovery is possible. I was really having a hard time with what happened to me, and I am still unable to verbalize it...They helped alot. I'm starting the road to recovery.
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“I ended up going to RAINN's new online crisis support and feel that I received really good advice and information there--they're doing a great job.
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