Months-long shelter-in-place orders may flatten the curve for communities, but they leave a segment of the population vulnerable to other dangers. For those dealing with domestic abuse, staying home is not a safe option.
“Research, including those from the World Health Organization, shows that during times of health emergencies and natural disasters there tends to be a spike in violence in communities, particularly in intimate partner violence,” said Esther Peralez-Dieckmann, executive director of Next Door Solutions, a domestic violence agency in Santa Clara County that helps victims and survivors leave violent situations.
According to a 2011 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicated that one in five women and nearly one in seven men in the U.S. experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their life.
Comparing Jan. 5 to March 21 of last year and the same time frame this year, domestic rape and domestic violence cases increased about 26% according to a 2019-20 yearly comparison chart from the San Jose Police Department.
Peralez-Dieckmann said she had seen a higher-than-average call rate and more walk-in appointments around late February when concerns over the coronavirus crisis became more intense in the community.
“The week before all this happened and the shelter-in-place order went into effect, we were already seeing quite a bit of people coming through,” Peralez-Dieckmann said.
She said violence in communities is exacerbated when people lose hours, get laid off, feel powerless or are unable to attain resources – all of which are happening during the shelter-in-place order.
Next Door Solutions has received many phone call reports detailing instances of abusers withholding money, sanitizer and other necessities during this health crisis.
Peralez-Dieckmann added that abusive, former partners could use the pandemic as an excuse to see their children, despite
standing custody orders.
“Perpetrators are trying to sort of get on the good side of the victim to say, ‘This is a terrible time, we’re all at risk. I want to see my kids,’ ” she said. “There’s that kind of emotional manipulation happening, too.”
Peralez-Dieckmann said some clients have a hard time calling Next Door Solutions because their former partners are always in the house visiting children while in quarantine.
Although Next Door Solutions decided to close its main office where people usually come for support, its hotline is still active and legal services are provided over the phone.
It is also still sending out supplies like pantry items to clients who are running low on food, diapers or other necessities and is anticipating a surge in demand.
“They’re running out of things or they need help,” said Peralez-Dieckmann. “So we’re just sort of bracing ourselves for what we think will be an increase in the number of calls over the next few weeks.”
Social distancing protocols have strained the emotional rapport Next Door Solutions staff members have built up with clients, which often serves as a lifeline for people in domestic violence situations.
“They were very concerned because a lot of their clients are already in these situations that were very troubling and potentially dangerous,” Peralez-Dieckmann said. “For us the warm handoff [is] being able to sit with people and hear their story [and] offer our support.”
Using methods such as Zoom and phone calls, staff members are increasing the frequency with which they conduct client check-ins so clients feel connected.
Other facilities that offer help to domestic violence survivors are also noticing changes in the online transition.
Jennifer Nguyen, education programmer of the San Jose State Gender Equity Center, said that she and her team are working on gathering and distributing resource-specific messaging that does not equate “shelter in place” with “home,” but rather somewhere safe and with resources easily accessible.
“My concerns are moreover whether students know what resources are available to them . . . They are still welcome to reach out to our center for support, assistance and guidance,” Nguyen said.
