OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Women’s Center for Advancement warns that incidents of domestic violence tend to increase during the holidays.
While the holidays do not necessarily cause abuse, a number of factors can change the patterns of an abuser, making it more difficult for a survivor to plan for his or her safety.
This could include things like bad weather, financial stressors, travel plans, spending time with family, or increased alcohol consumption.
Often, survivors spend more time with their abuser during the holidays.
“For many of our clients, they have a custody order that requires the children to spend time that they would not normally spend with the abuser, and that forces interaction between our client and the abuser. Or perhaps, if there is no custody order, our client will be in confined spaces at a relative’s home or traveling in a car with the abuser,” says Katie Welsh, VP of Programs for the Women’s Center for Advancement.
The Women’s Center for Advancement works with many of their clients to create a safety plan specifically for the holidays. For example, these could be places you can go or numbers you can call if necessary.
If you are a friend or family member and you find yourself worried about someone you love, this is Welsh’s top recommendation.
“A helpful thing to do is just listen to that person you may be concerned about and maybe, if it’s appropriate, to talk and find some sort of neutral, safe place where he or she can reveal whatever it is , or just to let him or her know that you have seen something that concerns you and that you are here for support,” Welsh said.
Welsh told First Alert 6 that it’s not always best to call for help without talking to the survivor first. Survivors usually know what is safe and taking action without their knowledge can put them in danger.
“Domestic violence is a crime of power and control. So it’s never the case that when a survivor comes to us, something has just happened, or it’s just a one-off incident that has suddenly made it clear to them that they are with an abusive person,” Welsh said.
The Women’s Center for Advancement has a 24/7 hotline available to anyone. That number is 402-345-7273. Additional resources can be found here.
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