We’re here to help. 24/7.
Contact us for free, confidential support at any time, 365 days a year. We are always here for you.
A safer Philadelphia, for better tomorrows.
For 50 years, WOAR – Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence has provided an empathetic ear, a caring heart and a helping hand to anyone who has experienced sexual violence recently, or at any time in their life. Each year, we helped thousands of survivors of sexual violence in Philadelphia through our hotline and in-person support and advocacy.
WOAR is here for survivors of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault because generous donors, like you, made it possible. Generosity gives everyone the power to make a positive change in the lives of others. WOAR is here because you make it possible!
Please stand with us by making a donation to WOAR.
Get the support you need.
WOAR offers crisis support and resources for specific communities. Find guidance to get the help you
need, or discover resources to help someone in need of crisis support.
LGBTQIA+
Help for LGBTQIA+ victims/survivors
of sexual assault. It can get better.
Ayuda En Español
Obtenga información sobre nuestros
servicios y recursos locales.
Young Adults & Teens
Learn about sexual violence among
young adults and teens.
You are not alone.
We’ve been there.
“When I was put in a fight or flight situation, I did neither. I froze. And I want to make it clear to other survivors that froze, you made it out alive. Your body protected you the best it could. You did everything right, and now you are a survivor. A SURVIVOR. Also, survivors of this kind of trauma should always remember it is never your fault. You did not choose this – no matter what people say or don’t say.”
Isabella, Survivor and Volunteer
Yo Philly - @InPHLtrate isdoing a fundraiser for WOAR next Friday at Tattooed Moms. Don`t miss it!
💖PRETTY IN PINK IS SET FOR FRIDAY, FEB 6TH, 6-10PM - Now at @Tmoms!💖
Come out with your best girls and support a powerful cause!♥️
• First 5 to arrive will get 5 FREE raffle tickets for a chance to win some sweet prizes🎟️
• Raffle and Step Outside merch proceeds will be donated to @woarphila, helping their mission to eliminate sexual violence in our community🩵
• Tmom pink drink specials will be running at the bar🍸
• Grab some goodies and art from our vendors💖:
@boldandbroad
@beereallychanneling
@desaturated.arts
@drsglass
@nails.byjuliet
@phillycookiecompany
• Show up wearing pink and you might get a special treat🍭💖🍬
FREE TO ATTEND
MUST BE 21+ TO ENTER WITH VALID ID AT THE DOOR
Tattooed Mom - 530 South Street
Event taking place in the back room upstairs!
Pennsylvania survivors can’t wait.
PCAR (Respect Together) published an open letter to Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly calling for a funding increase for rape crisis centers, so sexual assault services across PA can be stabilized and sustained.
If you live, work, or have community in Pennsylvania, please take 2 minutes to help:
• add your name to the letter
• share the link with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors
• tag a few people and ask them to sign too
Every signature adds weight. Every share builds momentum. Thank you so much for your support and let`s make some noise!
Sign and share here: https://respecttogether.org/pcar-open-letter/
The signs of human trafficking can look different in every situation. Possible indicators may include someone who appears fearful or controlled, lacks access to money or identification, or has limited ability to speak for themselves.
Seeing one sign alone doesn’t confirm trafficking, but recognizing patterns can help prompt care, concern, and connection to trusted resources.
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available. Contact WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence at https://www.woar.org, call or text 215.985.3333 for support.
Poverty, human trafficking and stalking are deeply connected. When people are struggling financially, they are at higher risk for stalking, trafficking, and sexual violence because it`s harder to get safe housing, transportation, legal help, health care, and other important resources.
Stalking and trafficking thrives in situations where people don’t feel stable or safe and don’t have any real options — and survivors living in poverty often face extra barriers to staying protected, preventing harm, and getting justice.
Thank you to the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) for sharing this graphic.
Human trafficking does not require transportation across state lines or international borders. Many survivors are exploited in their own communities, homes, or workplaces.
Trafficking can be hidden in plain sight, making awareness and accurate information essential to prevention and early support.
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available. Contact WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence at https://www.woar.org/, call or text 215.985.3333.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I keep coming back to this: “The time is always right to do what is right.”
That can be as simple and powerful as choosing to march peacefully, boycotts, teach-ins/sit-ins, voter registration, calls to elected officials, and caring for your neighbors in real and practical ways.
Because as Dr. King reminded us, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Let us not be silent. Be steady, be organized, and move justice forward with courage and care.
Our offices are closed today, but our 24/7 hotline is ALWAYS open. If you need support, please call or text 215-985-3333.
January 18 is Stalking Awareness Action Day. Stalking can look like repeated following or unwanted contact without consent that leaves someone feeling afraid or deeply distressed. In Pennsylvania, stalking includes non-consensual following or communication intended to cause reasonable fear of bodily harm or significant emotional distress.
What you can do today:
• believe someone who says they’re being stalked
• help with a safety-plan: keep a phone charged, save emergency contacts, vary routines, and tell someone they trust
• practice digital safety: tighten privacy settings, disable location sharing, avoid tagging or posting photos/details without consent
• remember stalking can happen offline, online and through technology
If you or someone you know needs support, call or text WOAR’s free, confidential, 24/7 hotline at 215-985-3333.
There is no single “type” of trafficking survivor. Children and adults, people of all races, genders, sexualities, abilities, U.S. citizens, and immigrants can all be affected.
Trafficking thrives on vulnerability, not weakness. Factors like housing instability, financial stress, isolation, or prior abuse may increase risk, but exploitation is never the survivor’s fault.
Believing survivors starts with understanding the facts.
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available. Contact WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence at https://www.woar.org/, or call 215.985.3333.
Sexual exploitation, abuse, and the systems that allowed harm to continue saw renewed attention due to the recent release of documents pertaining to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
However, transparency is only the beginning. Disclosure alone does not equal justice. True accountability means centering survivors, addressing institutional failures, and ensuring that power is never again protected at the expense of people’s safety.
If this moment is difficult or upsetting, support is available 24/7 by calling or texting 215-985-3333, WOAR`s 24/7 crisis response hotline.
What comes next? The answer is action: believing survivors, strengthening systems of accountability, and investing in prevention and survivor services that protect people before harm occurs.
If you or someone you know needs support, please call or text WOAR at 215-985-3333. We are here for you. You are not alone.
Wear BLUE on Sunday, January 11 for #WearBlueDay.
This is local. Human trafficking isn’t “somewhere else.” It happens in Philadelphia, and it can look like a neighbor, a classmate, a coworker, or someone you pass every day. Trafficking is exploitation—often hidden in plain sight—where someone is pressured, controlled, or forced into sex or labor through threats, manipulation, debt, violence, or withholding basic human needs like food. It can affect children, teens and adults, people of all genders, and it doesn’t always involve kidnapping.
Awareness matters because recognizing the warning signs can help connect someone to safety and support.
4 ways you can take action and show support in Philly:
1. Wear blue on January 11 and tell people why you’re wearing it
2. Post a photo/video (solo, with friends, or at work) and use #WearBlueDay
3. Learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking: https://tinyurl.com/HT-PCAR
4. Share WOAR’s 24/7 hotline: 215-985-3333
If you or someone you know needs support, call or text WOAR’s 24/7 hotline at 215-985-3333. You are not alone.
One of the most common myths about human trafficking is that it always involves kidnapping by a stranger. In reality, trafficking often happens through emotional manipulation, threats, financial control, or false promises.
Survivors may be trafficked by someone they know and trust, which can make it harder to recognize and leave unsafe situations. Understanding the reality of trafficking helps communities respond with compassion instead of judgment.
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available. Contact WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence at https://www.woar.org/, or call 215.985.3333.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and at WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence, we take this month to center survivors, increase understanding, and strengthen pathways to safety and support.
Human trafficking is a serious form of exploitation that occurs in communities across Pennsylvania. It involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to control another person for labor or commercial sex.
Trafficking doesn’t always look the way we expect, and it often goes unrecognized. This month, we’re sharing facts to raise awareness, challenge myths, and connect survivors with support.
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available. Contact WOAR - Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence at https://www.woar.org/ or call 215.985.3333.
