Our Story
Before 1970, incidents of domestic and sexual violence were mostly ignored. If they were talked about, it was only in hushed tones and private conversations. For many women, being beaten by their partner or being forced to have sex was accepted by society, and the legal system provided little protection for victims of abuse. Women who wanted to escape the violence often had nowhere to turn.
But they did have each other.
Across the country, survivors of violence and feminist activists banded together to raise awareness about violence against women. They advocated to change the society and systems that had failed them for so many years, forming the movement that would come to be known as the Battered Women’s Movement of the 1970s.
In 1978, The North Dakota Council on Abused Women’s Services (NDCAWS) began as an informal gathering of advocates from five crisis intervention centers across the state. Each crisis center provided shelter and support to victims of domestic violence, and much like the voices of the Battered Women’s Movement, the advocates realized their collective voice was stronger than any individual effort. Through NDCAWS, they problem solved, shared resources, and discussed ways to improve support systems for victims and survivors.
At the same time, The Coalition Against Sexual Assault in North Dakota (CASAND) was formed out of the need for statewide education, networking, and legislative change surrounding sexual assault. Like NDCAWS, advocates at CASAND worked with victims of sexual assault and collectively initiated statewide change.
In 1992, CASAND began working closely with NDCAWS, and the two organizations eventually merged, joining the efforts of local domestic and sexual violence services. Through this joint coalition, what was once an informal group of feminists and activists was now an organized network of advocates and change-makers fighting to end violence against women in North Dakota.
While abuse continued to occur, the systems and institutions designed to help victims and bring them justice improved. Through proactive training and education, survivors received trauma-informed support from service providers who truly understood the complex dynamics of abusive relationships. Through improved laws and policies, there was a better support system for victims who sought justice and liberation from abuse. And through networking and simply talking about abuse in their communities, survivors and advocates were able to bring conversations about domestic and sexual violence out of those hushed tones and into public conversation.
Today, as the North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition, we continue the work of these pioneering women and grassroots organizations that formed our coalition, holding on to the same beliefs that we had in 1978: that abuse cannot be tolerated, and that everyone deserves to live a life free from violence.
Our Mission
Ending domestic and sexual violence in North Dakota.
Our Vision
A violence-free North Dakota.
How we make a difference
We encourage communities to start talking about domestic and sexual violence—how to prevent it, how to identify it, and how to get help. We provide training, resources, and technical assistance to domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy centers and community partners. We also inform public policy changes and support laws that help victims and hold offenders accountable.
NDDSVC works to strengthen connections. We focus our energy and resources on connecting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking to supportive services in their communities. We also connect diverse partners from across the state—such as social and legal service providers, law enforcement, and legislators—to training and information on domestic and sexual violence to better serve victims.
We work to prevent violence by creating a culture of respect, consent, and nonviolence. We promote healthy relationships through educational resources, social media, publications, news media, and statewide awareness campaigns.
Our Coalition
We work alongside our member organizations—19 DV/SA advocacy centers located across the state—to create a unified support network for survivors.
NDDSVC provides our member organizations with training, resources, and technical assistance on providing quality, trauma-informed services and improving the well-being and safety of survivors. We also work to secure federal and state funding to support their ability to provide services.
Our member organizations provide crisis hotlines, free and confidential advocacy, safety planning, emergency shelter, counseling, and other vital services for survivors, their children, and their families.
NDDSVC advocates for improvements to laws, policies, and procedures that will help victims and hold offenders accountable. We also provide legal information and representation through our ALL ND Victims Legal Line.
Our member organizations assist survivors in navigating all aspects of the legal and family court system. They help victims request protection and restraining orders, accompany them to court hearings, and connect them with legal representation.
NDDSVC collects information from our member organizations on what elements of the legal system are working and what could be improved. From there, we coordinate improvements to North Dakota’s response to domestic and sexual violence across the system.
Our member organizations collaborate with local law enforcement and legal professionals to develop a trauma-informed, community-based approach to addressing domestic and sexual violence.
NDDSVC advocates for housing laws and policies that protect victims and provides information and resources on safe housing options to our member organizations.
Our member organizations offer emergency shelter and assistance in securing transitional or long-term housing for survivors.
NDDSVC advocates for system and policy changes, coordinates statewide awareness campaigns, supports the work of our member organizations, and works toward our vision of a North Dakota free from domestic and sexual violence.
Our member organizations deliver community and school-based presentations on the prevention of domestic, sexual, and dating violence, build community-based prevention teams, provide healing services for survivors, and host events to increase understanding of what people can do to prevent violence and create safer communities for everyone.
*Inspired by Violence Free Colorado’s “What We Do”: www.ViolenceFreeColorado.org
Want to know more about how we’re building a violence-free North Dakota?
Meet the team and board leading the mission to end domestic and sexual violence in our state.
Donate Now
Thousands of North Dakotans experience domestic and sexual violence each year. But together, we can change that. By giving to NDDSVC, you’re helping us prevent future violence and providing life-saving resources to North Dakota communities.
Find Help
If you are in an unsafe or abusive situation, there are 19 domestic violence/sexual assault (DV/SA) victim advocacy centers across North Dakota that can help you navigate your options and stay safe. Each center is staffed with professionals who can help you with safety planning, finding shelter, obtaining a protection order, and more.
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NDDSVC does not provide direct services to victims and survivors.
Contact a DV/SA advocacy center near you if you are looking for support. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
