When domestic violence awareness month

A few minutes of your time can help make a huge difference for victims and survivors. Looking for a way to support domestic violence survivors during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October? Encourage your friends and family to join you in standing up for domestic violence survivors by making a donation to PCADV. Start One Today! By making a monthly donation, you are making a commitment to end domestic violence.

Your donation will help sustain our programming dedicated to advancing prevention, intervention, and change. Donate Now! If you are a survivor of domestic violence, or the surviving family member of a victim, sharing your story can help advocate for others. Check out the EverydayAdvocate Fundraiser Toolkit for more details!

Follow us on social media thecenteronline to keep up with us this month! Thank you to our sponsors: Love coffee? Love the Center? Show your support with purple lights To honor local victims of domestic violence in Kentucky and Southern Indiana during the month of October, consider lighting up your house or place of business with purple lights, or placing a purple heart in your window. Get Help Now Call I still have nightmares 3. In terms of barriers, Hubbard struggled with even telling anyone about her experience of domestic violence, due to shame, which made leaving very difficult.

Hubbard explains, "Finances were a huge barrier. With my last ex, he had wiped out my savings, racked up my credit card debt, and had gotten me reliant on his business that I basically ran because he was always drunk. I knew I was going to have to start over completely when and if I left. Abuse survivors often have had their lives so controlled they couldn't work, eat, or make a phone call without permission or without fear.

Starting life over is very challenging and involves rebuilding, many times with few skills and few contacts. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Criminal Justice found a moderate to strong increase in domestic violence incidents between pre- and post-quarantine periods during COVID It should be noted that estimates are likely underreported.

Director of quality assurance and innovation at the National Domestic Violence Hotline , Rosemary Estrada-Rade, says, "We didn't initially see an increase at the hotline when the pandemic first started in March We think that was because survivors were in closer proximity to their partners who abused.

Estrada-Rade explains that isolation can exacerbate challenges and make the abuse worse. A study published in Global Health Action found that domestic violence survivors reported substantially more psychological distress, with twice as many participants reporting depression than the UK population, and three times as many participants reporting anxiety than the UK population.

These may come with symptoms of suicidal ideation, substance abuse and misuse, sleep disturbance, etc. This aligns well with Dr. Parmar's safety plan recommendation to spell out the steps one would take in case domestic violence escalates. The hotline's website even facilitates an interactive safety planning feature online, whereby the user can review such factors as home, school, job, children, etc.

Estrada-Rade reflects that as a former advocate over her 13 years with the hotline, she spoke with many concerned individuals. By supporting concerned loved ones, the hotline can bridge a gap, as Landrum advised that survivors should find ways to grow and strengthen their support network. As discussed, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month remains necessary to provide much-needed support to survivors.

It is why Estrada-Rade says, "Domestic violence is a lot more than physical. It can be financial abuse, emotional abuse, or any patterns or behaviors that are used to control the other partner in the relationship.

Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Leslie E, Wilson R. Journal of Public Economics. Journal of Urban Health. Jenkins EJ. Published online February 12, A literature review of intimate partner violence and its classifications.

Aggression and Violent Behavior. Experiences of intimate partner violence among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender college students: The intersection of gender, race, and sexual orientation.