Welcome!

The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Data Collection System is a project to enhance and improve the collection of statewide data from all victims who use the services of local domestic violence programs and sexual assault centers. This project began in April of 1996 through the support of the Violence Against Women Act (V-STOP) funds.

"I was close to ending my own life. I felt safe here."

A survivor of domestic and sexual violence wrote these words on a survey completed for the community domestic/sexual violence program where services were received. This survey is a part of the data collected by VAdata, the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Data Collection system.

Survivors of violence and advocates in Virginia's more than 50 sexual and domestic violence agencies (SDVAs) have been providing data to this system for more than 10 years. In 2011, SDVAs responded to 64,877 hotline calls. They provided 274,222 hours of face-to-face services to 20,044 victims of domestic violence, including 4,839 children and 6,633 victims of sexual violence, including 1,899 children. In the past two years, our programs have seen a 6% increase in the demand for sexual assault crisis services and an 18% increase in the demand for domestic violence crisis services.

Domestic Violence Service Agencies provided emergency shelter to 6,609 women, children, and men . On an average night in 2011, there were 556 people staying in a domestic violence shelter; a 12% increase over the past two years.

In addition to an increase in emergency shelter, domestic violence programs reported providing transitional housing to 174 families in 2011. Transitional housing programs provide essential support for victims of domestic violence and their children as they transition from emergency shelter to independent living.