Domestic violence help is available. This guide connects readers across Savannah, Coastal Georgia and South Carolina’s Lowcountry with crisis support, safety information and community resources.
Get help now
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911. For confidential support and safety planning, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. In the Savannah area, SAFE Shelter lists a crisis line at 912-629-8888. Call the organization directly to confirm current services.
Technology safety: Someone who is abusive may monitor calls, browsing, location sharing or messages. A private browsing window does not make a monitored device safe. Consider using a safer device to contact an advocate. Changing passwords or turning off tracking may alert the person monitoring you, so plan changes carefully.
What is domestic violence?
Domestic violence is not limited to physical injury. It may involve threats, intimidation, sexual coercion, isolation, control over money, monitoring of communications or other patterns of power and control. People of any gender, age or background can experience abuse. You do not have to wait for physical violence to ask for help.
Find help in Savannah, Coastal Georgia and the Lowcountry
Chatham County and Savannah: SAFE Shelter provides domestic violence support and crisis assistance. Call 912-629-8888 to ask about current services and eligibility.
Bulloch County and surrounding communities: Safe Haven in Statesboro is a domestic violence service organization. For current services and eligibility, contact the organization directly.
Brunswick and the Golden Isles: Glynn Community Crisis Center / Amity House is a regional domestic violence resource. Contact the organization directly for current services and intake.
Camden County: Camden House in St. Marys is a regional resource. Contact the organization directly to confirm services and availability.
Beaufort and the South Carolina Lowcountry: Hopeful Horizons supports people affected by domestic violence and abuse. Contact the organization to confirm the appropriate crisis line and service area.
Not all organizations provide walk-in services or emergency beds at all times. Call ahead from a safe device. Confidential shelter locations are intentionally not published here.
Safety planning
A safety plan is personal. If possible, work with a trained advocate to think through safe contacts, transportation, children, pets, medicines, important documents and an emergency destination. Avoid confronting an abusive person about plans to leave if that may increase danger. Friends and relatives can help by listening, respecting the survivor’s decisions and offering practical assistance without sharing their location.
Dating and relationship warning signs
Pay attention to pressure to share passwords, constant demands to report your location, threats, humiliation, isolation from friends, forced sexual activity or attempts to control your money. A healthy relationship allows room for boundaries, privacy and disagreement without fear. Young people can also find guidance through love is respect.
Alcohol, drugs and domestic violence
Alcohol and drug use may complicate an unsafe situation, but they do not excuse abuse. A person may also use threats about a partner’s substance use or treatment to exert control. Survivors seeking substance-use support can use FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA at 800-662-HELP (4357). When possible, coordinate treatment and safety planning with professionals who understand both concerns.
Military families, veterans and retirees
Service members and eligible family members can ask about the installation Family Advocacy Program, domestic abuse victim advocates, and reporting options. Military OneSource’s victim advocate locator is a starting point. Military OneSource can also be reached at 800-342-9647. Reporting choices and confidentiality have exceptions; ask an advocate to explain them before making a report. Veterans and retirees should confirm eligibility for military services and can also use civilian domestic violence organizations.
Georgia public safety and court record research tools
People considering a new relationship may want to check available public records. These searches are only one part of personal safety: an absence of records does not mean someone has never caused harm, and a charge or allegation is not the same as a conviction. Check identifying details carefully and do not confront someone over a search result if doing so could put you in danger. If someone may be monitoring your device, use a safer computer or phone to research these tools.
re:SearchGA: Georgia court records
re:SearchGA provides access to available records from participating Georgia courts, including certain criminal and civil cases. The Chatham County Superior Court Clerk links to the portal for criminal court information. An account is required; some document access or copies may have fees. Records can be incomplete, restricted, delayed or unavailable. Review the court, filing date, case status and disposition rather than treating every search result as proof of wrongdoing.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Sex Offender Registry
The official Georgia Sex Offender Registry allows the public to search registered sexual offenders. It is not a list of everyone accused or convicted of domestic violence and does not guarantee that someone without a listing is safe. The GBI cautions that registry information may change.
Georgia Department of Corrections offender search
The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search provides information about individuals in the state corrections system. It does not replace county jail searches or a complete criminal history check.
Georgia protective orders and address confidentiality
Georgia’s protective order guidance explains how to seek a court order for eligible violence, stalking, harassment or threats. Georgia also maintains a protective order registry used by law enforcement; it should not be described as a public statewide background-search database. Georgia Safe at Home is an address confidentiality program for eligible survivors concerned about their residential address appearing in public records.
Local assistance: SAFE Shelter is Savannah and Chatham County’s dedicated domestic violence service provider. Its confidential 24-hour crisis hotline is 912-629-8888. SAFE Shelter also provides legal advocacy and assistance with temporary protective order paperwork through its outreach program at 912-651-0004. See SAFE Shelter’s services.
Digital stalking and online safety
Digital abuse can involve unwanted location tracking, shared cloud accounts, unauthorized device access, threatening messages and surveillance through apps. The Safety Net Project offers technology safety guidance. Apple’s Personal Safety User Guide, Google Security Checkup and the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center provide additional information. If a device may be monitored, seek guidance from a trained advocate before making changes that could be noticed.
Helping children, relatives and caregivers
Children may need age-appropriate emotional support and a plan for whom to contact in an emergency. Friends, parents and caregivers can listen without judgment, avoid pressuring someone to leave, and help connect them with professional services. Do not share a survivor’s whereabouts or personal information without permission.
Legal and financial assistance
Protective orders, housing assistance, legal aid and financial support vary by state and county. Ask a local domestic violence advocate for referrals in Georgia or South Carolina. If a partner controls accounts, employment or identity documents, discuss safer steps with an advocate before taking actions that may be discovered.
Questions people often ask
Can I get help if there has been no physical violence?
Yes. Advocates can discuss threats, controlling behavior, stalking and emotional or financial abuse.
Do I have to leave my relationship to call a hotline?
No. You can ask questions and explore options without committing to a particular decision.
Can military spouses use civilian domestic violence services?
Yes. Civilian hotlines and community organizations are important options regardless of military reporting choices, although individual program eligibility may vary.
Is it safe to delete spyware immediately?
Not necessarily. Removing monitoring tools or changing settings may alert the person responsible. Use a safer device and consult an advocate about a safety plan.
Coming next from the Savannah Herald
This permanent resource center will connect to additional reporting on warning signs, dating violence, personalized safety plans, children and families, financial abuse, legal rights, military households, alcohol and drug use, and digital stalking. Local listings will be expanded and reviewed regularly.
Services, contact information and eligibility may change. Contact organizations directly to confirm current assistance. This guide is informational and is not a substitute for emergency services or individualized legal advice.