Joyful Heart Foundation

When Mariska Hargitay started playing Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit over a decade ago, the content of the scripts, as well as the work she did to prepare for the role, opened her eyes to the epidemics of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. What she learned was staggering: - One in three women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. - Every two minutes in the United States, someone is sexually assaulted. - Nearly four children die every day in this country as a result of child abuse and neglect. And up to ten million children witness domestic violence each year. But what really opened her eyes—and subsequently, her heart—was the fan mail she received. The letters didn't say, "I love your show. Can you send me an autographed picture?" They said, "I was raped when I was fifteen. I'm forty now and I've never told anyone." Victims were disclosing their stories to her, many for the first time. Mariska founded Joyful Heart in 2004 with the intention of helping survivors heal and reclaim their lives. Today, Joyful Heart's mission is to transform society's response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, support survivors' healing, and end this violence forever.