Covid-19 Restrictions Unintentionally Affect Victims of Domestic Violence
October is Domestic Violence Action Month
By Teresa Clyne, Programs for Peaceful Living
Everyone deserves healthy relationships, but for those in abusive situations this is not a reality and the challenges that society faces in battling Covid-19 may be making these situations even worse. Restrictions put in place to protect us from the virus are unintentionally increasing stress in homes and making relationships more vulnerable to the risks of abuse.
October is Domestic Violence Action Month, a reminder that even though daily life has changed for us all, we can still educate ourselves and help those around us in need by learning the signs of abuse and being available to offer a hand whenever possible.
What is abuse? It is a pattern of behavior that one person uses to gain control over another. For example, it could include creating an isolating situation, manipulating and degrading a partner with emotional abuse, monitoring activities, controlling finances, and physically and sexually assaulting another person.
In addition to the stress of Covid-19 isolation many other factors create a volatile situation, there may be additional financial stress with the loss of a job or a reduction in work hours. As schools have closed to in person education, parents have lost their source of child care while simultaneously being thrust into the role of educator. Children have been removed from their network of friends, activities and sports, which could cause them additional stress and create behavioral problems that then puts added stress on parents.
Throughout the pandemic, Programs for Peaceful Living, which operates under Washington Gorge Action Programs in Klickitat County, has continued to serve the women, men and children in our communities who struggle every day with a person in their lives who seeks to control them and take away their autonomy. But the job of reaching out and supporting these victims of domestic violence has become even more challenging in 2020 as organizations which typically provide one-on-one services had to close temporarily due to Stay Home - Stay Safe orders earlier this year until they figured out how to operate remotely.
Services are open, but modified to include advocacy by phone and support groups by Zoom. The county toll free crisis line is open 24/7 at (844) 493-1709 and national and state hotlines Make referrals to local organizations like Programs for Peaceful Living to support victims.
Kirsten Poole, the Director for Programs for Peaceful Living said that this transition to a remote life has created an unusual circumstance. “The number of reported cases initially went down at the beginning of the pandemic. We believe this was due to isolation,” she said. She indicated the total number of individual clients served was down through the beginning of October, 213 in 2020 compared to 224 for the same time in 2019.
She noted that the normal outlets for victims to be able to leave the home for work, school and other activities have been seriously limited, or in some cases, ceased altogether. She explained that this meant victims no longer had privacy to call for help or the opportunity to reach out to report abuse or to go to seek out services.
This year, stay-at-home orders have exacerbated abuse risk factors. We have learned that the fear of catching the virus, getting sick and potentially needing to be hospitalized, is just the initial concern. The feeling of isolation may be intensified as people are unable to visit those affected or to simply interact with extended family and friends.
Poole notes that Programs for Peaceful Living cases again began to rise in summer months as society began to reopen. She said that although the total number of clients served this year is down, over one half of the clients from 2020 were in the last three months alone. She and her staff are seriously concerned about getting resources out to the public to support anyone who may be affected by domestic violence, and let people know how they can help. Normal in-person outreach has been affected during times of social distancing.
So... how can we take action? According to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence website https://wscadv.org/, here are some important things you can do to support victims.
ASK QUESTIONS. What is your biggest concern? How are the kids doing? What are you most worried about?
BE AVAILABLE TO LISTEN. Really listen. Listen without having your own agenda. Acknowledgment makes all the difference. You can say things like “I believe you” and “I’m here for you.” Have they told you that their abuser has a firearm or has threatened to commit suicide? If so, call 911 and contact a domestic violence advocate for help.
STAY CONNECTED. It can take a long time for things to get better, and it can be difficult to hang in there through it all. But staying connected is one of the most helpful things you can do.
To show your support for Domestic Violence Action Month, Programs for Peaceful Living asks that you please wear purple on Fridays. Help us thank local businesses for participating, like Center Place Market Fresh Bakery for frosting donuts in purple every Friday in October.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, reach out to the local crisis line at (844) 493-1709 or call Programs for Peaceful Living in Goldendale at (509) 773-6100, or in Bingen at (509) 493-2662. Or for more information visit https://www.wagap.org/programs-for-peaceful-living.
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WAGAP is a Community Action Agency dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities address basic human needs, including food security in Klickitat and Skamania Counties. For more than 50 years, the organization has offered support services to help people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency. Learn more at wagap.org or call (509) 493-2662.
For additional information, contact Washington Gorge Action Programs at (509) 493-2662 or info@wagap.org. Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency for Klickitat and Skamania Counties.