By Emma Fox, Contributing Writer
The month of October is a time to advocate for domestic violence awareness because with advocacy comes resources. According to the San Diego District Attorney’s office, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to gain or maintain power and control over one’s partner. These violent behaviors can come in different forms: emotional, physical, mental, and sexual.
It appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated domestic violence disproportionately against Black women. Chandra Thomas Whitfield of the MIT Technology Review writes “The health and financial challenges of the pandemic, which also disproportionately affected Black women, likely made the situation worse by creating a pressure cooker of stressors related to health and housing, employment, and financial insecurity.”
Many people who were abused as children grow up to be abused in a relationship or become abusers themselves. Offering people resources when they need them the most can help end this cycle.
In District Attorney Summer Stephan’s weekly update for October 6, she mentioned the North County Family Justice Center. “[It is] a one-stop place where victims of domestic violence and any other violence can get help for themselves, for their children, for their entire family to find safe shelter, to get mental health resources, get a restraining order, get re-educated, a career, to get financial independence, whatever they need to make sure that they are safe and they can thrive.”
Every person deserves safety in their relationship. It is important for people to know that there is help out there and they are not alone. So spread the word this October and every month.
Resources if you or someone you know is being abused:
- Call 9-1-1, if you are in immediate danger.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Multiple languages available
- Chat online: http://www.thehotline.org/
- The hotline is answered by trained counselors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is confidential and referrals may be provided for services in every region of the County. Staff can provide support, education, and safety planning.
- Family Justice Center hotline: 888-DV-LINKS (888-385-4657)
- 24-hour domestic violence hotline
- North County Lifeline: (760) 726-4900
- Center for Community Solutions: (858) 272-5777
- 24-hour, toll-free and confidential, County-wide crisis line for crisis intervention and information referrals related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in San Diego.
- San Diego County Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Resources
- San Diego County Stalking Information Line: (619) 515-8900
