SAFETY ALERT: If you are in a crisis or need immediate help. Call 911 or CLICK HERE FOR THE 24 HOUR HOTLINE NUMBER in your area. Learn more technology safety tips.
Andvsa
  • Change Font Size

Who We Are

The Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault promotes and sustains a collective movement to end violence and oppression through social change.  We are a non-profit, membership corporation composed of 18 programs statewide that provide services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, offender services, and adult crisis intervention services. Click here for a copy of our 2010-2011 Strategic Plan to learn more.

Our Mission and Purpose

This corporation was formed for exclusively charitable, educational and scientific purposes.  The specific and primary purposes are:

1.    To provide communication and linkage among programs and organizations whose primary focus is the elimination of domestic violence and sexual assault;

2.    To promote and support cooperation among agencies and institutions committed to challenging and changing the conditions that allow violence to continue;

3.    To expose the roots of domestic violence and sexual assault in the institutionalized discrimination against women, children and those who are viewed as having less power;

4.    To assure that the voices, experiences and expressed views of survivors of sexual and physical violence are a guiding force in development and implementation of initiatives to end violence;

5.    To support full autonomy to community based programs so that control and direction of services provided remains in the hands of persons being served;

6.    To ensure that funding for programs, agencies and services is sought in a cooperative and non-competitive fashion; and

7.    To support a more just, ethical and humane model of social service delivery.

Our Values and Principles

Collectively, we believe interpersonal violence is the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others.

Collectively, we believe societal oppression is the abuse of power which systematically creates conditions that condone violent acts.

Collectively, we believe that the elimination of interpersonal and societal violence is most effectively advanced through:  grass roots efforts of local-based programs; communities that hold abusers accountable; and networking and coalition building at the local, state, and national levels.

Collectively, we believe in individual self-determination, empowerment through support and education, and the right of all persons to live without fear of interpersonal violence regardless of race, gender, national origin, age, level of ability, religion or sexual orientation.

Our History

The Network was incorporated in 1980. At that time, there were five programs in the state dealing with issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. However, the programs were not coordinated, the issues were not significantly recognized, there was little funding available, and legislation to impact the problem was negligible.

Currently, there are seventeen programs who are Network members, a state agency committed to the elimination of violence against women has been established, funding continues to be appropriated, and the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault are recognized as serious statewide concerns requiring the maximum attention.

Our Member Programs

The Network has 17 member programs that provide:

* Emergency Shelter
* 24-Hour Crisis Hotlines
* Food, clothing, and other essential items
* Transportation
* Confidential Advocacy
* Legal Advocacy
* Counseling
* Support Groups
* Community Education and Outreach
* Rural Outreach
* SART (Sexual Assault Response Team)

Revised 11-2009

A Message from the Executive Director


Domestic and sexual violence and abuse are crimes that are difficult to talk about. Most people don’t want to think about them much less talk about them. And yet, it is this very action which contributes to the belief that domestic and sexual abuse rarely happen, when in fact we know that not only does it happen, but it happens within our circle of family of friends. Last year the University of Alaska did a statewide survey and found that 60 percent of Alaskan women had experienced domestic and sexual violence. And one in three Alaskan women had experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. Of that, more than 10,600 Alaskan women experienced sexual violence just last year! And this survey doesn’t even take into account children, youth and young men.


At a time when more victims than ever are seeking services we know these numbers, while alarming, are most likely low. In 2009 a survey was done which showed that more than 10 percent of our high school students had been forced to have sexual intercourse when they didn’t want to. And this is why when you hear the statistic that Alaska’s rate of forcible rape is 2.5 times the national average and we’ve been number 1 in this area for many years, you know it’s true.


And yet, there are many positive things happening in the state to turn this curve….Choose Respect, the Governor’s Initiative, media campaigns and work on prevention and education in communities.

• For those of us who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse, we honor you today with the Choose Respect march.
• For those of us currently in abusive relationships, we also honor you and hope/pray you are seeking and finding safety for you and your children when you can. This march, Governor Parnell, First Lady Sandy Parnell and myself and others tell you that you are not alone.
• For those of us who were once abusive or violent in our circle of family and friends but aren’t anymore, we honor that you chose another path, one of respect and honor.
• And finally to those of us who are members of a community that wants these stats to go down, we encourage you to speak up and help dispel myths.
• To acknowledge these crimes happen in our circle of family and friends
• To challenge misperceptions that these crimes only happen to people who have somehow contributed to their own abuse
• To not inadvertently collude with offenders by remaining silent thereby giving them room to continue this behavior without fearing their crimes will be reported or prosecuted; without them seeing the need to choose a different path.

All of us, we must choose respect and we must become the change we seek.

- Peggy Brown -