Domestic violence exploded during the first two months of the Coronavirus outbreak. In the U.S., there was a 30% increase of spousal/partner abuse towards women, and the U.K. saw a similar increase as well – 25%; and still – There is no updated, comprehensive resource that tells you where to go if you are suffering such horrible violence, or know someone who is a victim.
Such a resource is critical, as there are abusive partners that use the plague itself as a tool of terror. In many cases, they withhold medication, insurance cards, and even the ability to go purchase hand sanitizer from their victims – all while public health procedures, such as mass quarantines, prevent any chance of escape; this is on top of the pre-existing threat of violence that constantly looms over their heads.
Sadly, you can’t trust the government either. Social Services aren’t getting the necessary funds in these times and non-profit rescue organizations can’t do it alone. It is our duty to help the victims of this viciousness, and to not forget that the victims are women, men, and children alike.
In this guide, you will find every possible contact and useful tips that will help you to stop being a bystander, take action, and save lives (without putting your own at risk).
United States: The next murder is around the corner
Domestic Abuse has been outrageously common in the USA, long before the Coronavirus plague. In fact, 50% of women visiting emergency rooms nationwide have a history of abuse, and 40% of those murdered by their abuser tried to get help in the last 2 years before their death. In too frequent of circumstances, they didn’t get enough help from their surroundings – and in these times of lockdowns and mobility limitations, it’s even harder for them to reach out. According to recent research, Domestic Violence has increased by 30% in the U.S. during March and April alone.
It seems the next murder is right around the corner. The U.S. has seen an increase in violent risk factors: Gun sales reached a 7-year peak, with 1.9 million firearms sold in March 2020 alone; and liquor sales also rocketed by 31.7% in the same period, in comparison to 2019.
These contacts can help stop the next death and save a person’s life.
National Domestic Violence Hotlines
- Break the Silence Survivor Helpline
phone: 1 (855) 287-1777
message on Facebook - DoD Safe Helpline (for military members & their families)
phone: 1 (877) 995-5247 - National Dating Abuse Helpline
phone: 1 (866) 331-9474
message on Facebook - The National Domestic Violence Hotline
phone: 1 (800) 799-7233
phone: 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
message on Facebook - VictimConnect
phone: 1 (855) 484-2846
United Kingdom: You can’t trust the government
The 25% jump in U.K. abuse reports isn’t surprising. A recent study shows that the pandemic exposed severe flaws in the government’s approach to domestic abuse.
Funds promised to services who support victims of Domestic Abuse back in October 2019 have not yet been supplied. This is surprising, considering the Government signed the Istanbul Convention in 2012 to reaffirm the U.K.’s strong commitment to tackle violence against women and girls. In reality, most of the U.K.’s 48 support services had to shut down at least one of their support channels. Abuse victim shelters are nearing full capacity, and the Coronavirus outbreak made everything worse – particularly for Asian, Black, and other minority victims.
We need to take the initiative and help people ourselves. This list will show you contacts that are still available and can help save lives today.
Domestic Violence Hotlines Across the U.K.
- Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline
phone: 0808 200 0247 - Galop (for the LGBTQ community)
phone: 0800 999 5428
message on Facebook - Live Fear Free Helpline (Wales)
phone: 0808 801 0800 - Men’s Advice Line
phone: 0808 801 0327
message on Facebook - Respect Phoneline
phone: 0808 802 4040
message on Facebook - Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Force Marriage Helpline (Scotland)
phone: 0800 027 1234 - Scottish Women’s Aid (Scotland)
phone: 0131 226 6606 - Women’s Aid Federation (Northern Ireland)
phone: 0800 917 1414
message on Facebook
European Union: Most victims don’t know where to turn
As the Coronavirus Plague’s hit grew hard in Europe, cases of Domestic Violence simply skyrocketed.
Designated hotlines in Spain reported a 47% increase in women calling for help and a shocking 700% increase in online approaches from victims. Calls for help increased by 40% in Austria, and in France there’s been a 36% increase in police interventions for cases of abused women and children since the outbreak.
Being locked in with their abuser made calling for help harder than ever. Women in France and Spain had no choice, and began asking for help from pharmacists when they managed to go out to get medications. You can help make a difference by utilizing these contacts – whether you’re a victim of Domestic Abuse in the E.U. yourself or know somebody there who is being abused.
Domestic Violence Hotlines in European Countries
- Albania
Women and Girls Advice Line (Linja e Keshillimit per Gra dhe Vajza)
phone: 116
message on Facebook - Andorra
Servei d’Atenció a les Víctimes de Violència Domèstica i Familiar
phone: 181 - Austria
Women’s Helpline Against Violence (Wiener Interventionsstelle gegen Gewalt in der Familie)
phone: 0800 222 555
message on Facebook - Belarus
National Hotline for Survivors of Domestic Violence
phone: 8801 100 8801 - Belgium
Crisis Situation Helpline
phone: 106 (Flemish)
phone: 107 (French)
phone: 108 (German)
Ecoutes Violences Conjugales (French)
phone: 0800 30 030
Violence Hotline (Flemish)
phone: 1712 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
SOS Line for Women and Children
phone: 1264 (Republika Srpska)
phone: 1265 (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
message on Facebook - Bulgaria
Women’s Helpline
phone: 359 2 981 7686 - Croatia
Autonomous Women’s House in Zagreb
phone: 0800 55 44 - Cyprus
Center for Emergency Assistance Helpline
phone: 1440 - Czech Republic
DONA Line
phone: +420 251 51 13 13 - Denmark
LOKK Hotline
phone: +45 70 20 30 82 - Estonia
Tugitelefon
phone: 1492 - Finland
Women’s Line (Naisten Linja)
phone: 358-800-02400
message on Facebook - France
Violences Femmes Info
phone: 3919
Viols Femmes Information
phone: 0800 05 95 95 - Germany
National Women’s Helpline
phone: 08000 116 016 - Greece
E.K.K.A. (National Center for Social Solidarity)
phone: 197
message on Facebook
General Secretariat for Gender Equality
phone: 15 900
message on Facebook - Hungary
NaNE Helpline for Battered Women and Children
phone: 06 80 505 101 - Iceland
Kvennaathvarfið Shelter Helpline
phone: 561 1205 - Ireland
National Freephone Helpline
phone: 1800-341-900
message on Facebook - Italy
Antiviolenza Donne
phone: 1522
message on Facebook - Kosovo
Direct Line for Victims of Violence (Albanian) (Bosnian)
phone: 0800 11112
message on Facebook
SOS Linja
phone: 381 39 033 00 98 - Latvia
Crisis Helpline
phone: 67222922 - Liechtenstein
Women’s Helpline Frauenhaus
phone: 423 380 02 03 - Lithuania
Women’s Line (Lygus)
phone: 8800 66 366
message on Facebook - Luxembourg
Fraentelefon
phone: 12 344 - Macedonia
National SOS Line – Phone of Trust
phone: 15 315
message on Facebook
SOS National Mobile Line
phone: 389 75 141 700
phone: 389 77 141 700 - Malta
Appogg Agency Supportline
phone: 179 - Moldova
Trust Line
phone: 8008 8008 - Montenegro
SOS Helpline For Victims of Violence
phone: 080 111 111
phone: 202 322 54 - Netherlands
Veilig Thuis
phone: 0800 2000 - Norway
Crisis Situation Helpline
phone: 800 40 008 - Poland
National Emergency Service for Survivors of Family Violence
phone: 801 12 00 02
National Emergency Service for Survivors of Family Violence – Blue Line
phone: 22 668 70 00
message on Facebook - Portugal
Serviço de Informação às Vitimas de Violéncia Doméstica
phone: 800 202 148 - Romania
ADRA (Bucharest)
phone: 021 25 25 117
Baia Mare: Centru Artemis
phone: 0262 25 07 70
CMSC (Iasi)
phone: 023 225 29 20
Sensi Blue Foundation (Bucharest)
phone: 021 311 46 36
Sibiu: A.L.E.G.
phone: 075 389 35 31
Targu Mures: IEESR
phone: 026 521 16 99
Timisoara: APFR
phone: 0256 29 3183 - Russia
ANNA (National Center for the Prevention of Violence)
phone: 8 800 7000 600 - Serbia
Helpline for Victims of Domestic Violence
phone: 0800 100 600
Network of Women’s Hotline in Vojvodina
phone: 0800 10 10 10 - Slovakia
National Line for Women Surviving Violence
phone: 0800 212 212
message on Facebook - Slovenia
SOS Helpline for Women and Children
phone: 080 11 55
message on Facebook - Spain
Helpline for Information on Gender Violence
phone: 016
message on Facebook - Sweden
Kvinnofridslinjen
phone: 020 50 50 50
Terrafem
phone: 020 52 1010 - Switzerland
Dargebotene Hand
phone: 143 - Turkey
Hürriyet Emergency Domestic Violence Hotline
phone: 90 212 656 9696
Social Service Counseling Line
phone: 183 - Ukraine
Domestic Violence Counteraction and Child Rights Protection Hotline
phone: 0800 500 335
phone: 0800 500 336
message on Facebook
Additional Global Domestic Violence Hotlines & Resources
- Afghanistan
Afghan Women’s Resource Center
phone: +93 799 203 056
phone: +93 700 280 179
message on Facebook - Angola
phone: 260 665 9191 - Antigua and Barbuda
phone: 268 463 5555 - Argentina
phone: 11 3133 1000
message on Facebook - Armenia
Women’s Support Center
phone: 099 887 808
message on Facebook - Australia
1800 RESPECT
phone: 1 800 737 732
message on Facebook - Azerbaijan
phone: 99 412 408 5696 - Bahamas
phone: 1 800 737 732
message on Facebook - Bahrain
Information Centre for Women and Children
phone: 17262237
message on Facebook - Bangladesh
phone: 109 - Belize
Cornerstone Foundation
phone: 222 4343 - Benin
Courants de Femmes
phone: 806 254 0376 - Bhutan
Information Centre for Women and Children
phone: (975) 2 332159/334751 - Bolivia
Casa del Mujer
phone: 591 4 663 8517
message on Facebook - Botswana
Humana People to People
phone: (267) 3900516/7659
message on Facebook - Botswana
Humana People to People
phone: (267) 3900516/7659
message on Facebook - Brazil
SOS Ação Mulher e Família
phone: 180 - Brunei
phone: 673 340524 - Burkina Faso
phone: 226 31 30 52 - Burundi
phone: +257 22 23 53 78
message on Facebook - Cabo Verde
phone: 941 780 2232
message on Facebook - Cambodia
Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center
phone: 1288 - Cameroon
phone: 267 220 52 94 - Canada
Alberta Council of Women
phone: 1 800 363 9010
message on Facebook - Central African Republic
phone: 610600 - Chad
phone: 0235 66 77 50 35
message on Facebook - Chile
Red Chilena Contra la Violencia Hacia las Mujeres
phone: 800 104 008
message on Facebook - Colombia
phone: 01 8000 52 2020 - Comoros
phone: 0269 773 46 63 - Democratic Republic of the Congo
phone: (267) 220 52 94 - Republic of the Congo
phone: 05 548 59 95 - Costa Rica
Cefemina
phone: 506 2224 3986
message on Facebook - Djibouti
Union Nationale des Femmes de Djibouti
phone: 35 04 21/35 19 81 - Dominica
phone: (767) 266-3023/3344/3083 - Dominican Republic
phone: *212
message on Facebook - Ecuador
phone: 098 63 62 526
message on Facebook - El Savador
Organización de Mujeres Salvadoreñas por la Paz
phone: 503 2556 0032
message on Facebook - Eritrea
National Union of Eritrean Women
phone: 291 1 185636
message on Facebook - Eswatini
Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse
phone: 95
message on Facebook - Ethiopia
phone: (11) 124 2998/123 0777
message on Facebook - Fiji
Fiji Women’s Crisis Center
phone: 3313 300
message on Facebook - Georgia
Anti-Violence Network of Georgia
phone: 309 903
message on Facebook - Grenada
phone: 473 440 3788
message on Facebook - Guatemala
Fundación Sobrevivientes
phone: 2285 0100/0139
message on Facebook - Guinea
phone: 60 28-11-89 - Guyana
Fundación Sobrevivientes
phone: (592) 227-3454 - Haiti
Anti-Violence Network of Georgia
phone: (509) 2 45 5174/4221
message on Facebook - Honduras
phone: 114 - India
Zariya
phone: 1091 / 1291
message on Facebook - Indonesia
Komnas Perempuan
phone: (0274) 553333 - Georgia
Anti-Violence Network of Georgia
phone: 309 903
message on Facebook - Georgia
Anti-Violence Network of Georgia
phone: 309 903
message on Facebook - Iran
Organization for Defending Victims of Violence
phone: 21 88 96 30 91
message on Facebook - Iraq
phone: 110
message on Facebook - Israel
phone: 1202
message on Facebook - Jamaica
Woman Inc. Crisis Centre
phone: 929 9038
message on Facebook - Japan
Women’s Resource Center
phone: 092 513 7333 - Jordan
The Jordanian National Commission for Women
phone: 6 568 7037
message on Facebook - Kenya
Coalition on Violence Against Women
phone: 733 594 794
message on Facebook - Kiribati
phone: 26187 - Kyrgyzstan
phone: 281 455 - Laos
phone: 1362 - Lebanon
Lebanese Council for Combating Violence Against Women
phone: 6 624 060
message on Facebook - Liberia
phone: 919 527 0517
message on Facebook - Marshall Islands
Women United Together Marshall Islands
phone: +692 625 5290
message on Facebook - Mauritius
SOS Femmes
phone: 139 - Mexico
phone: 1 800 911 2511
message on Facebook - Morocco
phone: (212) 2 82 64 00/01
message on Facebook - Myanmar
Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation
message on Facebook - Namibia
phone: 081 127 1002/3 - Nepal
The Women’s Foundation Nepal
phone: +977 1 515 5080
message on Facebook - New Zealand
Shine
phone: 0508 744 633
message on Facebook - Nicaragua
phone: 118
message on Facebook - New Zealand
Shine
phone: 0508 744 633
message on Facebook - Niger
phone: 227 74 12 55 - Nigeria
WACOL
phone: (234) 09091333000 - Papua New Guinea
phone: 71508000 - Paraguay
phone: 137 - Saint Kitts and Nevis
phone: 869 469 1887
message on Facebook - Saint Lucia
St. Lucia Crisis Centre Corporation
phone: 202 - Samoa
Samoa Victims Support
phone: 68522640
message on Facebook - San Marino
phone: 800 738 738 - Saudi Arabia
phone: 1919 - Senegal
Comite de Lutte Contre Les Violences Faites Aux Femmes
phone: 221 33 941 44 11 - Seychelles
phone: 248 224 455 - Sierra Leone
phone: 240 215
message on Facebook - Singapore
Aware
phone: 18007775555 - Solomon Islands
phone: 677 26999 - Somalia
Save Somali Women And Children – SSWC
phone: +252 6184 72202
message on Facebook - South Africa
Frida Hartley Shelter
phone: 0800 150 150
message on Facebook - South Korea
Korea Women’s Hotline
phone: 1366
message on Facebook - Sri Lanka
phone: 94 11 4 715585 - Sudan
phone: 9696
message on Facebook - Suriname
Stop Violence Against Women Foundation
phone: +597 470 0380 - Taiwan
phone: 113 - Tajikistan
Project on Prevention of Domestic Violence
phone: (91) 1892 221 527/198 - Tanzania
Kiwohede
phone: 0800 780 100
message on Facebook - Thailand
phone: 02 276 2950 - Timor-Leste
phone: 390 321 534 - Tonga
Women & Children Crisis Center Tonga
phone: +676 222 40
message on Facebook - Trinidad and Tobago
phone: 800 7283 - Tunisia
phone: (216) 7189 0011 - Uruguay
Red Uruguaya Contra la Violencia Doméstica y Sexual
phone: 0800 4141
message on Facebook - Vanuatu
phone: +678 25764
message on Facebook - Venezuela
Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas
phone: 0800-MUJERES (6853737)
message on Facebook - Vietnam
phone: (971) 34 36/31 43 - Yemen
phone: 1 415 814 - Zambia
phone: 1 25 52 04
message on Facebook
How can I tell if someone is being abused?
It’s not always clear. In many cases, you can hear the fights, pangs of violence, cries, or see a victim with bruises – while in many other cases, you won’t be close enough for that.
There are critical indications you can be aware of, however, and know when you’re talking to a person in need of help.
For example: A person who said their abuser – a spouse, family member, or other type of partner – doesn’t let them communicate with their children, family, or friends, using Coronavirus as an excuse. Another indication is a person who has no financial control over their own life and can’t spend any money without approval from their partner – not even for an office gift or a lunch. One more possible indication is a person who just won’t speak about their relationship or partner at all, mostly out of fear of repercussions.
What can I do to help?
Remember that many cases of Domestic Abuse end in murder. They also more frequently include rape, severe injuries, and unimaginable emotional scars – including (and often especially) for the children in the household. Therefore, it is your duty to help the authorities get to the victims and end their nightmare. This is how you’ll do it without risking your own life.
- Don’t push the victim.
Sometimes it seems odd that an abused wife won’t file a complaint against her husband to end her suffering – and people will just pressure her to do so. Remember that you don’t know what the victim has gone through, and reporting the abuse might be horrifying for them. Sometimes they try to protect their abuser out of fear, or a feeling that they deserve such abuse. Therefore, they will need your help – and not a lecture about how they need to stop suffering and help themselves. - Don’t be afraid to make an anonymous report.
Call the police if you hear an active, ongoing incident – you might very well be saving that victim’s life. - Call a support service.
Every one of the services listed here are well-trained in cooperating with the police, social services, and other relevant bodies. They can give you advice regarding the specific case at hand, and contact the victim themselves without mentioning you at all. - Avoid the abuser.
You’re trying to help a victim by getting the right professionals on the case, not by taking the law into your own hands or getting into trouble. Don’t talk to the abuser, even if you’re well acquainted, and don’t threaten them. Leave them for the cops and legal system. - Keep things confidential.
While helping a person in need is grounds for praise in social media, it might also expose that case and cause new or additional hardships for the victim. Also, a person who’s fishing for praise on Facebook or Twitter might play into the hands of the abuser’s lawyers, saying your report was dishonest as you were in it only to gain likes and popularity.
sources:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/europe/domestic-violence-coronavirus-lockdown-intl/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/28/three-women-killed-in-spain-as-coronavirus-lockdown-sees-rise-in-domestic-violence
https://www.wcpo.com/news/coronavirus/number-of-domestic-violence-hotline-calls-on-the-rise-since-self-isolation-period-started
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