It was these statistics that flipped the switch in Mariska Hargitay’s brain and led her to become a force in the fight against sexual assault, and provide care for those who have survived it.

“Dick Wolf (creator of the “Law & Order” television franchise) was being honored by SAVI (Mount Sinai Hospital’s Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention program) for bringing awareness to sexual assault and violence on SVU (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”).  During the presentation, the speakers were reciting the heartbreaking statistics and the stories of the survivors and something just clicked,” she says. “I knew I had to go beyond where I was.”

Cast as SVU’s gritty, but empatheticDetective Olivia Benson in 1999, Mariska(pronounced Ma-rish-ka, in the Hungarian tradition) knew from the first script that her world of acting was taking a significant turn. She began to immerse herself in the character by talking with rape crisis counselors, going on police ride-alongs, and educating herself about the physical as well as psychological trauma that follows survivors of rape—sometimes for the rest of their lives. Through this immersion, Hargitay stamped her character with a personality that resonated with the audience and her fan base on a level that was atypical for an actress.

“The emails I was receiving on mariska.com were not typical fan mail.  Women would say things like ‘I wish the cop that dealt with me when I was attacked had your compassion. You understand.’  Women would grab me on the street crying, asking me to hold them.  I realized that SVU and Olivia Benson were giving a voice to assault victims,” she says,  “and finally talking publicly about ‘the elephant in the room’—sexual assault. More than an acting job, I felt I was in a position of responsibility.”

In 2002, Mariska became more involved in the cause when she enrolled in a 40-hour crisis counseling course at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.  She is now a certified rape crisis counselor and serves on the boards of Safe Horizon and Mount Sinai’s SAVI program.

“Law & Order” advertises that its stories are “stripped from the headlines.” Mariska credits Executive Producer Neal Baer and the show’s writing staff for crafting storylines that bring these unspeakable issues—rape, torture, incest, pedophilia and more—to
the forefront.

“Neal is such a humanitarian. He uses the power of his position to make people aware of these issues. Through our characters, we are able to empower those who may have been victimized,” she says. “The writers do their homework; we have many technical people and crisis counselors in advisory roles. My involvement in the rape crisis counseling program also has given me some insight, though,” she continues. “For example, whenever Olivia talks to a child, she kneels and uses a more gentle tone. I know when there is a rape kit scene that we must stand by the head of the victim. I am able to play a small creative part. But in the bigger picture, the writers really do their homework.”

As harsh as her working world may appear, the place where Mariska has frequently chosen to play is in Kona, Hawaii, beneath the soothing, turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean, swimming with dolphins. On one such outing, dozens of dolphins started swirling around her. One even came up close enough to gaze soulfully into her eyes. She swam side by side with the dolphin until he suddenly flipped his tail and vanished. The experience so surprised and moved her that Mariska was exhilarated and elated with joy. When she raised her face from the water, she felt an amazing release and was crying with emotion.

At that moment, the worlds of Mariska Hargitay merged as she realized that swimming with dolphins could help the victims of sexual assault to heal.

In 2002, she founded The Joyful Heart Foundation (JHF), which is committed to the healing and recovery of survivors of sexual assault. The nonprofit organization has developed several unique programs centered on dolphin/human interaction in the wild as a way of stimulating a survivor’s healing journey.

By working together with rape crisis centers and counselors, as well as dolphin experts, JHF synthesizes all components of the healing process (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social and environmental) into one therapeutic experience. The positive effects of dolphin/human interaction in the wild is unparalleled. The Joyful Heart Foundation provides this safe, unique and liberating experience as part of a retreat program, free of charge to victims of sexual assault, in the hope of providing a powerful step in a survivor’s journey to reclaiming a joyful heart.

“Through the dolphins, we work to break the bonds of fear that tie these women to their pain and to open doors to their souls—doors to trust, love and life that slammed shut with the abuse,” Mariska says. “The success of JHF—offering hope and the choice to restart one’s life—has been an affirmation that I chose the right path for my world. Olivia Benson has changed my life in ways I could never imagine,” she explains. “I became an actor for self-fulfillment; I never started out to be a humanitarian, but JHF has been so gratifying. I finally have a platform from which to give back. And isn’t that what the world is about?” •