It is your right to live free from violence. Protection from violence means that you can receive help and protection from the government if someone threatens, harms, or stalks you. There are also counseling centers and projects funded by the government that support people who have experienced violence.
What Types of Violence Are There and How Can I Recognize Them?
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Physical Violence
Physical violence is when someone harms your body or prevents you from moving. For example:
- Someone hits, pushes, or kicks you
- Someone grabs your neck and restricts your breathing
- Someone holds you down so that you cannot move
- Someone throws objects at you or harms you through "accidents" that are not really accidents
- Someone locks rooms and prevents you from leaving the apartment
- Someone prevents you from getting medical help
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Psychological and Emotional Violence
Psychological violence attacks your feelings, self-esteem, or emotional well-being. For example:
- Someone regularly insults, humiliates, or yells at you
- Someone criticizes your language, background, or religion and makes you feel inferior
- Someone uses your insecure residence status to frighten you (for example, by threatening to report you) or force you to do things
- Someone controls your daily routine: sleeping times, clothing, contacts, etc.
- Someone deliberately ignores you for a long time to punish you ("silent treatment")
- Someone blames you for the violence even though you are the victim (victim blaming)
- Someone repeatedly distorts the truth, causing you to doubt your own perception ("gaslighting")
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Sexual Violence and Abuse
Sexual violence is when someone forces you to engage in sexual acts. For example:
- Someone forces you to have sex or touches you against your will
- Someone uses fear, pressure, or dependency to demand sex from you
- Someone does not respect your no and keeps pressuring you until you give in
- Someone threatens to publish intimate photos or information about you
- Someone demands sex in exchange for money, accommodation, or residence status
- Someone forces you to use contraception or forbids you from using it
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Economic and Financial Violence
Financial violence makes you dependent on someone or controls your means of living. For example:
- Someone takes away your money, bank card, or important documents
- Someone forbids you from working or having your own bank account
- Someone does not give you money for food or other essential things
- Someone takes out debts in your name
- Someone uses money, residence status, or your dependency on them to control you or threaten you
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Digital Violence
Digital violence uses technology to control, monitor, or threaten you. For example:
- Someone reads your messages or demands your passwords
- Someone tracks your location through apps. Warning signs may include another person knowing a lot about your messages, appointments, or whereabouts
- Someone harasses you by constantly sending messages to pressure you. For example, they repeatedly question you or make you feel guilty
- Someone publishes private photos, for example on social media, or threatens to publish them
- Someone locks you out of your email accounts, social media accounts, or cloud storage
- Someone publishes personal information about you online without your permission ("doxing")
- Someone posts degrading, insulting, or discriminatory statements about you, often as anonymous comments or social media posts ("hate speech"). A key warning sign is when you significantly restrict your online activities because you are afraid of being exposed or humiliated
- Someone steals your "online identity" to use your personal accounts, such as your online banking or social media accounts
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Social Violence
Social violence isolates you from the people around you. For example:
- Someone forbids you from meeting friends or relatives
- Someone accompanies you everywhere and never allows you to speak to others alone
- Someone prevents you from attending language courses or counseling services
- Someone tells false things about you to other people in order to isolate you
- Someone forbids you from taking part in religious, cultural, or social activities. A key warning sign is when you constantly have to justify yourself or avoid situations to prevent "causing trouble"
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Domestic Violence
Domestic violence includes all forms of violence within relationships or families. For example:
- A partner hits you
- A family member threatens you because you want to make different decisions
- A partner controls your money, phone, and social contacts
- Someone destroys documents so that you cannot leave the apartment
- Violence, such as physical or emotional violence, happens in front of your children or is directed against them
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Threats of Violence
Threats are a form of violence in themselves. They are used to intimidate people and gain control over them. For example:
- "If you leave, I will hurt you."
- "I will take your children away."
- "I will report you to the immigration office ."
- "I will tell your family everything about you."
- "I will hurt myself if you break up with me."
Violence is not always easy to recognize. That is why it is important to know the signs. This can help you recognize sooner when you need support. Different forms of violence often happen at the same time and cannot always be clearly separated. Here are some examples of situations in which violence can occur.
How Does Violence Affect Different People?
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Violence Against Women
Violence often, but not exclusively, occurs in close personal relationships, especially in current or former partnerships. It often follows a pattern of "power and control", where controlling behavior begins early and abuse may escalate over time. The risk is often particularly high when a woman wants to leave the relationship. In such situations, the violence often escalates. There are also forms of online violence that particularly affect women, such as cyberstalking or manipulated images ("deepfakes").
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Violence Against LGBTQI+ People
Violence against LGBTQI+ people is often motivated by hostility toward a person's sexual orientation or gender identity (hate-motivated violence). Specific risks include threats of forced outing or pressure to undergo so-called "conversion therapy ". This group also faces particular risks of severe forms of violence, such as "corrective rape" or violence in healthcare settings, for example being denied necessary medical treatment.
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Racist Violence
This form of violence targets a person's background, religion, or appearance and often occurs in public spaces or online, for example through hate messages. The attacks are directed not only at the individual, but also at what they represent, such as their culture or faith. A particular aspect of this violence is the psychological burden caused by the constant message that "you do not belong". As a result, people may avoid certain places out of fear. This often leads to feeling unsafe in public spaces or being afraid to seek help.
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Violence Against Children and Young People
Children and young people often experience physical or psychological violence within their families or in institutions such as schools and residential care facilities. A particular concern is sexualized violence, which often begins online and involves pressure to keep secrets or forms of blackmail. In digital spaces, cyberbullying is also a major problem and can lead to social exclusion.
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Violence Against People with Disabilities
Violence against people with disabilities often occurs in care or support settings. A particular concern is the high level of dependency involved. Abusers may misuse their role as caregivers or helpers to exercise power, for example through deliberately rough care or forced medication. People are also often excluded from decisions about their own lives, or access to important assistive devices and communication may be controlled by others.
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Violence Against Older People
Violence against older people most often occurs within families or in caregiving situations. It often involves financial abuse, such as pressuring a person to give up their inheritance or access to their bank account. Another major problem is neglect, for example when a person does not receive enough food or is not given help with personal hygiene. Abusers may also use threats, such as: "If you do not do what I want, you will be sent to a nursing home."
Sometimes people target you because they see you as belonging to a certain group. This may be related to your gender, background, age, disability, or sexual orientation. They use this to gain power over you. Often, they also try to prevent you from getting help. Here you can find information about what these patterns can look like.
Important
Even when children do not experience violence directly themselves, witnessing violence against others can affect them as if the violence were directed at them. This can cause intense fear, ongoing stress, and serious harm to their development. A key warning sign is when children suddenly change their behavior out of fear or feel pressured to keep secrets.
What Can I Do Immediately in an Emergency in Berlin?
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If You Are in Immediate Danger and Need Protection Right Away
Call the police (24/7): 110
The police can take immediate steps to protect you. They can remove the person who committed violence against you from the apartment and issue an order preventing them from returning or entering the premises. They can also file a police report and explain what steps you can take next.
The police can warn the abuser or prohibit them from contacting you. In emergencies, the police can even detain the abuser for a short period of time to keep you safe.Call the emergency services / fire department (24/7): 112
Emergency medical services and the fire department can provide immediate medical assistance. They treat acute injuries, provide emergency care, and take you to the hospital if necessary.
Call the Berliner Krisendienst (Berlin Crisis Service) (24/7): 030 390 63 00
The Berliner Krisendienst provides multilingual support and immediate psychological crisis counseling.
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If You Need Medical Help or Want to Document Violence
Hospitals / emergency rooms
All hospitals and emergency rooms provide immediate medical care. With your consent , the hospital can document your injuries.
Illness and Accident
Gewaltschutzambulanz der Charité (Violence Protection Outpatient Clinic at Charité): 030 450 570 270
The Gewaltschutzambulanz der Charité can examine your injuries and document them confidentially. You can communicate there in German and English, and the Charité can also organize language mediation. They are available during the week.
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Emergency Services for Specific Groups
Special support services for women and FLINTA*
- Call the "violence against women" helpline (24/7): 116 016
The helpline provides anonymous and free crisis counseling, including support in multiple languages. - Call the BIG Hotline (24/7): 030 611 03 00
The BIG Hotline provides anonymous and multilingual counseling if you need support related to domestic violence. You can also call if you are unsure what to do. Through the BIG Hotline, women and their children can get a place in a women's shelter if they are threatened by violence at home and do not feel safe. A women's shelter is a protected place for women and their children when they are not safe at home. The shelter's address is kept confidential so that an abusive partner cannot find them there.
Special support services for children and young people
- Call the children's emergency service hotline (24/7): 030 6100 61
This hotline provides immediate support for children up to the age of 13 who are experiencing acute crises or violence. - Call the youth emergency service hotline (24/7): 030 6100 62
This hotline provides immediate support for young people who are experiencing acute crises or violence. - Call the girls' emergency service hotline (24/7): 030 6100 63
This hotline provides immediate support for girls, young women, and FLINTA* people between the ages of 12 and 20 who are experiencing acute crises or violence. - Call the child protection hotline (24/7): 030 6100 66
This hotline is for anyone who is concerned about a child or young person.
- Call the "violence against women" helpline (24/7): 116 016
How Can I Properly Document Violence?
If you experience violence, it can help to collect evidence. This is important if you need support from the police, a court, or a counseling service. Good documentation can also help protect you, for example if you want to apply for a restraining order. Here are some things you can do:
- Take photos of injuries or damaged property after the incident. It is important to describe all pain and symptoms you notice as accurately as possible
- Save chat messages, voice messages, call logs, voicemails, social media messages, emails, location history, calendar entries, and any other information related to the incident. Always make sure the date and time are visible
- Write down the date, time, and a short description of what happened
- Record whether there were any witnesses to the incident, such as neighbors
Documentation can be collected regardless of whether you decide to report the incident to the police. You can decide for yourself whether you want to file a police report now or at a later time.
How Can I Protect Myself?
In Germany, there are laws that protect you from violence. There are several ways you can take action, for example:
- You can contact the police. The police can immediately remove the abuser from the apartment (Wohnungsverweisung). The person must hand over their key and is usually not allowed to return for 10 to 14 days. You can also report the incident to the police.
- You can contact the Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt). If children are involved, the Jugendamt makes sure they are safe. In emergencies, it can place children in a safe location (Inobhutnahme) ("emergency protective custody ").
You can apply for protection against violence through the family court. In urgent cases, the court decides very quickly on protective measures, often within a few days. Applying for protection may involve costs, for example for the family court, a lawyer, or an interpreter. If you cannot afford these costs, you can apply for financial assistance from the family court so that some or all of the costs are covered. You can apply here:
You can receive court-ordered protection even if you have not filed a police report beforehand. You can find all information about the application process here:
Counseling centers, lawyers, victim support organizations, and organizations that support specific groups (women and FLINTA*, LGBTQI+ people) specialize in these situations. They can support you throughout the entire process. You can submit the application on your own, but with their help, you do not have to go through the process alone. They can also advise you if your residence status depends on the person who is using violence against you.
Counseling
Locations in this map
Al Nadi
Show on mapAl Nadi (Arabic for "the club") has existed since 1979 and is a central contact and advice centre for Arab women from all over Berlin.
Advice and assistance with
- family, social and immigration law issues,
- domestic violence, marriage, separation and divorce...
- personal problems
- parenting problems and questions about daycare and school
- problems with authorities, job centre etc.
In cases of domestic violence, we have lawyers come to the shelters, etc.
In addition, Al Nadi:
- Language courses for women and children
- Literacy courses for women
- Sports and health courses
- Nutritional courses for women of all nationalities
Rheinstraße 54
12161 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 10 am - 6 pm
Office hours:
Monday 12 - 16 h
Tuesday 10 - 14 o'clock
Thursday 11 - 14 o'clock
Anlaufstelle der Bundespolizei zum Schutz von Frauen vor Gewalt
Show on mapAm Ostbahnhof
10243 Berlin
Germany
AWO-Frauenberatung
Show on mapSocial counselling and psychosocial counselling for migrant women for:
- personal problems
- family, social and immigration law issues
- marriage and partnership (separation, divorce, violence, maintenance, etc.)
- child education and questions about day care and school
- health (severe disability, rehabilitation, crisis intervention, care)
- work, unemployment, education and vocational training
- Social benefits (including unemployment benefit, basic security benefits/social assistance, child benefit, child supplement, parental allowance, sickness benefit, housing benefit, WBS etc.)
Counselling is available in the following languages:
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, English, French and Spanish, on request also in Arabic and Farsi.
Sonnenallee 200
12059 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Consultation with appointment: Monday - Friday 08:00-16:00
Consultation without appointment Thursday 15:00-18:00
BegeFrau
Show on mapSelchower Straße 11
12049 Berlin
Germany
Beratung bei häuslicher Gewalt
Show on map[DeepL:] We advise women* who are experiencing or have experienced physical, psychological and/or sexual violence and would like support in:
- Planning further possible courses of action and information about legal and police options
- Clarification of fundamental questions regarding separation, divorce and rights of access and residence
as well as support with
- arranging sheltered accommodation for women* affected by violence and their children
- communication with authorities and offices (job center, police, youth welfare office, etc.)
- enforcing measures to protect against violence
- the search for competent lawyers
- Achieving financial independence
- building up non-violent life prospects
Stollberger Straße 55
12627 Berlin
Germany
Beratung für Männer - gegen Gewalt (Standort Marzahn-Hellersdorf)
Show on map[DeepL:] The counseling for men - against violence is aimed at men of all social classes and age groups who deal violently with conflicts in partnership and separation. This is where our counseling service comes in. It reveals the consequences of domestic violence and mediates non-violent solutions. The goal is to prevent abuse and protect children from the traumatic consequences.
Additional location:
Men's/fathers' counseling
Rheinsberger Strasse 70, 10115 Berlin (Mitte)
Mobile: 0151 18088869
Consultations also in Arabic, English, French and Turkish
Landsberger Allee 563
12679 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Telephone office hours Mon - Fri 10:00 - 15:00
Personal consultation and course participation by appointment by phone.
Beratung für Männer - gegen Gewalt (Standort Mitte)
Show on map[DeepL:] The counseling for men - against violence is aimed at men of all social classes and age groups who deal violently with conflicts in partnership and separation. This is where our counseling service comes in. It reveals the consequences of domestic violence and mediates non-violent solutions. The goal is to prevent abuse and protect children from the traumatic consequences.
Additional location:
Men's/fathers' counseling
Rheinsberger Strasse 70, 10115 Berlin (Mitte)
Mobile: 0151 18088869
Consultations also in Arabic, English, French and Turkish
Leipziger Straße 31-33
10117 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Telephone office hours Mon - Fri 10:00 - 15:00
Personal consultation and course participation by appointment by phone.
Beratung für Männer - gegen Gewalt (Standort Ribbeck-Haus Märkisches Viertel)
Show on map[DeepL:] The counseling for men - against violence is aimed at men of all social classes and age groups who deal violently with conflicts in partnership and separation. This is where our counseling service comes in. It reveals the consequences of domestic violence and mediates non-violent solutions. The goal is to prevent abuse and protect children from the traumatic consequences.
Additional location:
Men's/fathers' counseling
Rheinsberger Strasse 70, 10115 Berlin (Mitte)
Mobile: 0151 18088869
Consultations also in Arabic, English, French and Turkish
Senftenberger Ring 54
13435 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Telephone office hours Mon - Fri 10:00 - 15:00
Personal consultation and course participation by appointment by phone.
Beratung für Männer - gegen Gewalt (Standort Spandau)
Show on map[DeepL:] The counseling for men - against violence is aimed at men of all social classes and age groups who deal violently with conflicts in partnership and separation. This is where our counseling service comes in. It reveals the consequences of domestic violence and mediates non-violent solutions. The goal is to prevent abuse and protect children from the traumatic consequences.
Additional location:
Men's/fathers' counseling
Rheinsberger Strasse 70, 10115 Berlin (Mitte)
Mobile: 0151 18088869
Consultations also in Arabic, English, French and Turkish
Neumeisterstraße 10
13585 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Telephone office hours Mon - Fri 10:00 - 15:00
Personal consultation and course participation by appointment by phone.
Beratungsstelle Häuslicher Gewalt
Show on map[DeepL:] Are you experiencing domestic violence in your relationship, family or partnership?
Are you being controlled, threatened, insulted or abused?
Beaten or forced to perform sexual acts?
These acts are punishable in Germany and you have the right to seek advice and defend yourself against them.
We support women* to realize their goals in life - regardless of origin, age and religion. We are a place of diversity and for queer people.
What we offer
- A safe and anonymous space for conversations in German, Russian and English
- Clarification of the situation and determination of further needs and, if necessary, the responsible authorities
- Basic legal information (measures under the Protection against Violence Act and other assistance options)
- Assistance (authorities, court, police and other relevant authorities)
- Referral to women's shelters, psychological counseling and social and family law counseling
Marzahner Promenade 1
12679 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Telephone availability: Mon-Fri | 10.00-17.00 hrs
Personal appointments are available by appointment.
Berliner Zentrum für Gewaltprävention
Show on mapKantstraße 33
10625 Berlin
Germany
BIG Hotline
Show on mapThe hotline is a support service for all women and their children who experience violence in their relationship, are still threatened and harassed by their ex-partner after their separation or are exposed to assaults.
Let us know for which language you need translation. We will organise an interpreter for the counselling within 10 to 30 minutes.
Germany
[DeepL:] Staffed daily from 8am - 11pm. Also on weekends and holidays
BNS - Fachstelle für Alleinerziehende, Schwangere und Betroffene geschlechtsspezifischer Gewalt
Show on mapOranienstraße 159
10969 Berlin
Germany
Elisi Evi
Show on mapElişi Evi e.V. was founded in 1983 by teachers and social pedagogues from the neighbouring Refik Veseli School to offer women and girls with a migration background their own protected space.
Elisi Evi provides culturally mediated counselling, anonymously if desired, preferably in the mother tongue of the clients and taking into account the specific situation regarding immigration law, on the following topics:
- Domestic violence in all its manifestations (e.g. physical, psychological, sexual).
- (Threatened) forced marriages of young women and girls
Skalitzer Straße 50
10997 Berlin
Germany
Tuesday to Friday: 10:00-15:00
and by telephone arrangement
Eulalia Eigensinn
Show on map[DeepL:] We offer advice on the subject of domestic violence:
- Telephone and personal counseling
- Help with the search for shelters and other housing options
- Long-term psychosocial counseling and support (also e.g. after a stay in a women's shelter)
- Information on police and legal measures
- Trial preparation and support
- Legal advice (family and criminal law)
- Advice on placing violent parents in anti-aggression services and parallel women's advice on courses for perpetrators
Lutherstr. 13
13585 Berlin
Germany
[DeepL:] Please make an appointment by calling 030-3351191. Please leave a message on our answering machine - we will call you back as soon as possible. Appointments can also be made by e-mail.
Fachberatungs- und Koordinierungsstelle bei Handel mit und Ausbeutung von Minderjährigen
Show on map- Free, anonymous counselling and support for women who involuntarily engage in prostitution and/or are affected by other coercive situations such as trafficking into marriage or trafficking into exploitative employment.
Topics - Crisis intervention
- Initial counselling
- Psychosocial counselling
- Mediation of suitable and safe accommodation options
- Accompaniment during visits to the authorities
- Clarification of residence and social law issues
- Arrangement of medical care
- Support with clarification of legal assistance
- Accompaniment to court proceedings
- Return counselling
- Information and counselling for relatives
Residenz Straße 90
13409 Berlin
Germany
Fachstelle für Prävention von sexualisierter Gewalt an Mädchen*, Jungen* und Kindern aller Ge
Show on mapAs part of the HEROES® project, STROHHALM E.V. offers training meetings for young men with a family history of migration, who later work as role models in peer workshops with other young people on topics such as equality, honour, culture and human rights.
The overriding goal of HEROES® is to create free spaces for young people of all genders, (in particular) from different cultures, in which they are supported in their personality and identity formation with the help of intensive pedagogical support through the development of their own values and attitudes.
During the approximately one-year training period at HEROES®, young people can experience and learn that it is possible to reflect on and reject restrictive, exclusionary and violent aspects of any culture without fear of losing their culture of origin and without being ground down between contradictory demands.
Luckauer Str. 2
10969 Berlin
Germany
Frauenberatung BORA
Show on mapThe women's counselling service BORA offers
- telephone and personal counselling in cases of domestic violence
- support in financial matters
- support in dealing with authorities
- information about police and legal measures
- Accompaniment to offices, court, police and authorities to secure one's livelihood
- Individual counselling and crisis intervention
- short-term and low-threshold therapeutic support
- regular chat and e-mail counselling
- legal advice
We advise
- women* who experience physical/psychological/sexual violence and want to protect themselves from it
- women who are experiencing a difficult separation or divorce
- Mothers whose children have experienced sexual violence
- Relatives and acquaintances who support women* affected by violence
- women affected by violence who want to start a new life
- women* after their time in a women's shelter
- Relatives and acquaintances of women who experience violence.
We arrange
- shelters and emergency accommodation for women
- free legal advice from a specialist lawyer
- to specialist counselling centres, crisis facilities, doctors, therapists, lawyers, self-help groups.
Albertinenstr. 1
13086 Berlin
Germany
Our consultation hours are:
mondays from 10 - 14 o'clock
tuesdays from 14 - 18 o'clock
thursdays from 10 - 14 o'clock
At other times a consultation is possible by appointment.
Legal advice
thursdays from 15.30 - 17.30 by appointment
Frauenberatung TARA
Show on mapWomen's Counselling TARA is an intercultural contact and counselling centre for women who live in a conflictual relationship and are threatened, beaten or abused. We want to give women the opportunity to reconsider their situation and to look for ways out of the violent situation.
Ebersstraße 58
10827 Berlin
Germany
FrauenKrisenTelefon
Show on mapFree and anonymous psychosocial counselling for migrant and refugee women. We provide counselling in Farsi in the mother tongue and, if required, also with the help of a language mediator in the following areas:
- Discussion of crises, fears, hardships and traumatic experiences.
- Counselling in cases of discrimination, exclusion and stigmatisation
- Pick-up at the place of residence and accompaniment to appointments (doctor's visits, visits to the authorities, etc.)
- targeted referral to other institutions
- personal free of charge series of talks
- support in family conflicts
Appointments by mail, phone or WhatsApp
WhatsApp: 0157 311 309 64
Mariannenstr. 6
10997 Berlin
Germany
Appointment: Monday: 14:00 - 16:00 o'clock
