AKRON, Ohio — Stay-at-home orders and lockdowns are becoming more common as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies. For abused women and men, a quarantine holds dangers of its own.
- On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner
- A survivor resource center and shelter for women in Akron is already seeing an uptick in hotline calls
- While resources remain limited during this time, their lines of communication will always remain open
“We’re genuinely concerned that domestic violence is gonna go up right now as people are forced to stay together in their homes,” said Steven McGarrity, executive director, Community Legal Aid in Akron.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, on average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. That equates to more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.
“If they’re at home with their abuser and there are the emotional and financial stressors, it’s easy to assume that stress is gonna be high and it’s going to initiate a domestic violence event,” said Nathan Chambers, director of services, Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center.
Chambers says the 24-hour hotline at Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center is already receiving more calls since Ohio’s stay-at-home order took effect.
“Our hotline, 24 hour hotline, is still completely open, the doors to our shelter are still completely open, we’re doing our best to prepare for what might be an uptick in domestic violence or sexual assault,” said Chambers. “Our therapists are all doing telehealth, so they’re having therapy sessions remotely, our court advocates are all working from home and communicating with clients remotely.”
In the state of Ohio, domestic violence hearings and civil protection order are considered essential, but with limited access to courts right now, it still poses a challenge for victims.
“The challenge is that when people show up at court to get protection orders, they usually have the assistance of advocates from the domestic violence shelters who can help them through that process, but the shelter advocates are generally not being allowed into the court, so it’s much harder for people to know what to do,” said McGarrity.
Community Legal Aid in Akron is increasing resources and staff to help keep up with the demand in domestic violence cases.
While resources during the virus outbreak remain limited, Hope and Healing wants people to know that their lines of communication will always stay open.
“You’re not alone, we are here for you, and there are many other agencies just like us that are here for you, and our doors are open.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact Hope and Healing’s 24 hour hotline at 330-374-1111 or the National Domestic Violence hotline via text or call at 1-800-799-7233.
