Around the country, police departments and municipalities are reporting an alarming rise in domestic violence calls amid the unprecedented stay-at-home orders in place in most states, including New Jersey.
In California, which went into lockdown before many other states, San Francisco Mayor London Breed told reporters that the city saw a first-week spike in domestic violence calls of 60% over the same week the year before.
In New Jersey, services that assist victims of domestic violence are finding themselves stretched thin. In an ordinary year, New Jersey’s domestic violence agencies serve more than 18,000 victims of abuse, and everyone anticipates that 2020 will be much, much worse.
According to Susan Dyckman of Women Aware of New Brunswick, “Many adults cannot go to work. Children are not in school. Stores, malls, libraries, gyms, restaurants are closed.
Social distancing discourages visits with extended family or friends. Fear, anxiety, frustration and uncertainty are running high. Families are together day and night. In a domestic violence situation, this is the perfect storm to trigger an escalation in abuse.”
If you find yourself in a dangerous situation with a family member during the lockdown, or you have been arrested on domestic violence charges, an experienced New Jersey domestic violence attorney can see that you and your children are safe, and that your rights are protected.
Call Matt Reisig today at 732-385-3339 for a free, confidential consultation.