Here’s where you can get help if you are experiencing domestic violence during shutdown
Social-distancing measures aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Washington have grown increasingly stringent as more cases are discovered statewide. On Monday, Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all residents to stay home unless necessary and all nonessential businesses to close through at least April 6, in the most aggressive measure so far.
But, for some people, home isn’t a safe place to stay.
Domestic violence perpetrators often isolate survivors as a control tactic, says Trish Gregory, executive director of the Family Support Center of South Sound (FSCSS).
In this situation, they might exploit mandated isolation to control a survivor further. And other factors, such as sudden, added stress from unemployment or children being home from school can “dramatically increase risk,” Gregory told The Olympian.
Having the kids at home can also introduce more stress to a survivor, who may be trying to manage kids’ behavior to avoid triggering a perpetrator’s anger.
“This is definitely something that we at the organization have been talking about and have major concerns over, because we don’t have the absolute solution to resolving it, which makes this a scary time,” Gregory told The Olympian.
Gregory and Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza both said they had not yet noticed an increase in reports or requests for services related to domestic violence. However, they fully expect to.
“I think people are hunkering down and getting used to this new reality,” Gregory said. “At first, it can be fun and different. But I think we’re going to see the aftereffects of that in the upcoming week or weeks.”
Though it’s easy to feel otherwise when it seems every storefront is displaying a “closed” sign, Gregory says local organizations are still here to help.
Resources for survivors of domestic violence in Thurston County
Gregory directs survivors to access services offered by the Family Support Center — which offers services for homeless families, parent and child education, and other services in addition to its criminal justice services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors — and SafePlace, which offers several services and programs specifically for domestic violence survivors.
The two Thurston County organizations work in partnership, Gregory said, so anyone who accesses one will gain resources from both. She touched on a variety of offerings that include helping survivors make a safety plan over the phone and helping survivors mitigate risk while staying at home.
Survivors who want information related to criminal cases, to file a protection order, or to report a domestic-violence crime can still access information by contacting a Family Support Center advocate, Gregory said.
Different resources are appropriate for different situations, according to Gregory. Anyone in an emergency situation who needs immediate help should call 911.
Someone in a domestic-violence relationship who feels their safety is at risk but is not in immediate danger should call:
- The 24/7 hotline operated by SafePlace: 360-754-6300; or
- FSCSS Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., when a receptionist is available to route calls to advocates: 360-754-9297.
Gregory said both organizations employ Spanish-speaking staff and can accommodate other languages.
“Calling a domestic-violence hotline doesn’t mean you have to change anything you’re doing if you don’t want to,” Gregory said.
“They might just gain information to help them be or feel more safe in the environment that they’re in.”
The Family Support Center also is accepting donations of hygiene and sanitation supplies such as toilet paper, bleach, diapers, and feminine hygiene supplies, Gregory said, along with cash to purchase such items. Donations can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the main FSCSS campus or mailed to 3545 Seventh Ave. SW in Olympia. Cash can be donated online at www.fscss.org.
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