Resources for domestic violence victims still available in Centre County during COVID-19 pandemic

“There isn’t even space to breathe.” This is a statement I heard recently on a public radio program about the impact of stay-at-home orders on those who experience domestic violence. While staying at home is no doubt the safest option to avoid the coronavirus and the best way to prevent its spread in our community, the toll staying at home takes on victims of interpersonal violence — victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse — may make getting sick seem like the best of a lot of bad options.

Many people experiencing domestic violence need months and years to decide to leave an abusive situation. They must weigh the costs to themselves and their children, including the loss of financial security, the increased danger to themselves and their children, and the likely isolation from their community of family and friends, as they make a decision about whether to stay in an abusive relationship or to leave. When faced with an order to shelter in place or stay at home, the space to make those decisions is gone with the abusive partner also home all day.

The access to resources and support to think through the implications of leaving are gone along with any private or confidential phone conversations or exploration on the internet. An abusive partner at home now has 24 hours of uninterrupted time to control and exert power over a victim and the lack of control outside the home from a job loss or sudden decrease in financial resources only makes the problem worse. Abusers will use any tactics at their disposal to exert power and control over their victims and a pandemic provides more opportunities such as the withholding of needed cleaning and sanitizing supplies, the rationing of funds making grocery shopping even more difficult, the withholding of insurance cards, medical information and care as the social isolation victims already experience worsens day by day.

“There isn’t even space to breathe.”

At Centre Safe, we continue to have our resources available through the 24-hour hotline (877-234-5050), our website and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). And for those who can call, our staff are able to work with them to obtain protection orders from the court.

Centre County has implemented Text 911 for those who aren’t able to make a phone call and the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers an online chat option at its website, thehotline.org. Centre Safe continues to provide shelter, in ways that minimize the possibility of contagion and infection from COVID-19. And for those victims who have been able to leave but skate on the edges of financial ruin, we continue to offer financial assistance as we are able. But we know that even when the stay-at-home orders are over, the crisis, at least for victims, will continue.

While Centre Safe has not seen an increase in the number of calls from victims of domestic violence to date, we know it is coming. As stay-at-home orders go away, as victims once again have the space and opportunity to reach out for help, we know that they will. A month at home with an abuser will, for many, be the tipping point that moves them toward reaching out for help. And when that happens, Centre Safe will be there.