Protecting Yourself Against Domestic Violence in Bexar County:
Bexar County has made it easier for those who suffer domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault to apply for a protective order via an online portal.
If you live in Bexar County visit this website to place a protective order:
https://bexarcountyprotectiveorders.org/
5 Rules to Protect Yourself From Domestic Violence During the Stay at Home Order:
1. Call 911 if you or someone you love is in danger.
2. Document each time you or someone you love is abused or assaulted.
3. Protect those who cannot protect themselves.
4. Tell someone outside of your home you are in danger.
5. Use the BexarCountyProtectiveOrders.org website to obtain a protective order as soon as possible.
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence, know you are not alone. There is an army of people who want to support you and provide you the protection that you deserve. If you or your loved ones are in immediate danger, call 911. Do not hesitate.
The Rise in Domestic Violence in Bexar County
Here in Bexar county, the rise in domestic violence is increasing at an alarming rate. “In early April, the San Antonio Police Department released numbers showing a 21% increase in family violence calls from 2019 to 2020, year to date”(1). If those statistics do not grab your attention then, NBC News reported that 18 out of 22 law enforcement agencies have seen a significant increase in domestic violence issues across the United States as a whole. (2)
The Children Are At Risk
Children are at risk to undergo domestic violence and they most likely don’t understand their options to escape the violence. Safe spaces like schools, places of worship and even places of work offer victims enough time away from their abuser to make a report. Without dedicated teachers and counselors who are trained to recognize signs of abuse, these children are trapped in an environment with little hope of escape.
Linking the Numbers
While there’s no way to conclusively link the numbers of increasing domestic violence as a direct result of the Stay at Home Order, the coincidence is remarkably striking. The financial fears, the unemployment uncertainty, and wellbeing are too much for some people to bear. Having an abusive household member is not as uncommon as you’d think; most cases go unreported. In an interview with NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Dr. Jamye Coffman, the medical director of the CARE team at the Cook’s Children Hospital, said that “typically, the hospital sees around eight cases in a month, but in one week, doctors at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth said they saw at least six cases of apparent physical abuse against children, with one of those cases resulting in death”(3)
If you think you or someone you know might be in an abusive household, you can also call the:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Crisis Call Center: 1-800-273-8255 or text “ANSWER” to 839863
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- Rape, Abuse & Insect Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
Kerberos cares and Kerberos stands ready! Don’t go at this alone.
Citations:
https://www.newsweek.com/texas-hospital-child-abuse-cases-rise-covid-19-outbreak-1493642