Bad Economy: Rise in Domestic Abuse

The economic crisis is creating more than a problem within the family budget - there has been a frightening rise in domestic violence calls to many non-profit organizations that specialize in helping those suffering from domestic abuse.

Vivian Clecak, executive director and one of the founders of Human Options, and Margaret Bayston, executive director and founder of Laura's House, both located in Orange County, California say they have noticed an alarming rise in calls to their 24-hour hotlines.

Clecak compared the number of calls she received to Human Options from July through September of 2007 to the same three months in 2008 and found that there had been a 23 percent increase.

Bayston was just as concerned when she saw the figures for Orange County from Laura's House: "In January of this year we had 78 calls. In September we had 122."

Both directors said there were a similar number of calls from some of the less affluent areas, but the increases are coming from women who, prior to the economic downturn, may not have phoned in and asked for assistance. And even if they would have called, embarrassment would have prevented them from asking for help to leave their homes.

Bayston added that the hotline is hearing from not just women with young children, but from a much older clientele as well. "I've had several women in their 80s calling the hotline," she said.

The increase is mainly due to loss of income, which brings on additional stress within the household that leads to verbal and/or physical violence, Clecak and Bayston said.

Once the women call the hotline, they are either brought to a shelter or put into an outpatient program called Personal Empowerment Program. If they go to a shelter, they are immediately set up with a program of intensive therapy that includes psychology sessions, job counseling, nutrition, exercise, parenting classes and much more.

The average stay is 45 days - the amount of time that the county helps defray the cost of care. After that, many move into transitional housing and continue therapy and training. Others sometimes get together with shelter housemates and rent apartments together.

It is the hope of the agencies that the women do not go back to their abusers. According to Bayston, 70 percent of those who have been in the residential program through Laura's House do not go back into their former situations.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere and at anytime. The California penal code defines abuse as "intentionally or recklessly causing or attempting to cause bodily injury, or placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent, serious bodily injury to himself, herself or another".

Domestic violence can occur between spouses, partners, former partners or spouses, children, individuals involved in a dating relationship, or elder abuse. According to the American Institute of Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women will be the victim of domestic abuse at some time throughout their lives.

All of Orange County, California's domestic violence agencies work hand in hand with one another to provide care for anyone who has been a victim of domestic abuse. They also provide preventative programs for anyone who is interested in taking workshops.