SPECIAL EDITION: CORONAVIRUS: Ruth Glenn on What’s Behind the New Surge in Domestic Violence

resources and so much needed inspiration. Today I'm joined by Ruth Glenn. Ruth is the president and CEO of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Ruth, thanks so much for joining us. Thank you much so UH. Obviously this is a very difficult I'm on so many levels. UH. And we're starting to see some of the fault lines in our society being exposed. UM, and you obviously have a very important role to play in this moment for our listeners. How common is domestic violence in the US? UH? And

and how common was it prior to coronavirus. It's very common in fact in our field of work, and UM, in our relationships with our allies and those that want to end domestic violences address domestic violence. We consider it a public health crisis, UM a hidden for the most part public health crisis, but a public health crisis. There's the estimates of one in three women UM and we speak mostly about women, of course, but one in three

women are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence. If you're out there dinner with your friends, you know one of you, of the three of you, UM, has experienced domestic violence or experiencings. So this is all prior to coronavirus. What are you seeing now in the midst of you know, one of the greatest health crisis are our country, certainly

and the world has faced in recent year. Well, we UM were active, as were some of our allies and partners in UM, ensuring that we provided support and resources to survivors and advocates as we dealt with this. What we're seeing, and I'm certain that we're going to see more, is more incidence of domestic violence being reported. That's going to be kind of a long term thing. Will see

a lot more towards the end of this. The other concern that we have is the intensity by which domestic violence is happening in the home, and UM we've been hearing of incidences where UM an abusive person has been using COVID to threaten their victim. We had one incident that was actually pretty frightening where UM he was he was very convinced that she was trying to harm him with COVID and UM began to m verbally and physically

assault her. UM as a result of that, from our perspective that it had really nothing to do with COVID. COVID has become another tool by which abusers can abuse. But those in sort of in domestic violence situations, it seems as though what we're hearing is that that is really going up, and and why is that going up? What I like to say really comcretely is that now

abuser have proximity to the victim UM. Whereas the victim might have had some ability to have respite or release from being exposed to the abuser, now the abuser has a lot more access and using COVID as a tactic to UH continue their abuse would not be that uncommon. Abusers make a choice to abuse, and when they discover that they have yet another links at their disposal to abuse, they are certainly going to use that. I think COVID

is not necessarily a trigger. UM. I do UM like to say that when an abuser is seeking tools and tactics to abuse, they make choices about that, but it can certainly be risk factors such as substance to use, mental health COVID nineteen. UM. All of those things can certainly be a risk factor, but for the most part, abusers will will use those as a tactic to exercise

their power and control. And at the same time, we know that any women have less choices now in terms of being in proximity in this lockdown moment when we're sort of stuck at home. Um, what what can women do in that moment? So I got to remind everyone, UM that it is certainly not only physical. So I can't even imagine the verbal an emotional assault that may be occurring in a home in which an abuser UM

is present in abusing their partners. And what I would say to survivors, Um, you've gotten this far by your creative thinking. You're planning whatever it might have been that

kept you safe. Don't forget what you've done to this point to make that happen, and just keep employing that, keep thinking about that, and then Secondly, if and when, um, the survivor victim is ready to make any kind of change, whether it's reaching out to get support services or whether it's reaching out to go to to a domestic violence shelterre,

please don't hesitate to do that. Our programs on the ground and direct service aducies are doing all that they can to make sure that their services have not been disruptive and it's been challenging, but they are there for you if the divider victim needs to call out. As you said, it's one in three women will be making such domestic violence in our lifetime. What can someone do to help a neighbor, a friend who you feel might be at risk? And what what signs or signals should

should we be looking for? If any sure? I think that's a great question. I think, Um, if you have someone in your family or a friend and your alarm goes off, you know, I always say it's pretty with women, we sometimes have the best intuition and then we sometimes do the best that we can do. Ignoring if your line bell is going going off because that person isn't as available as they used to be. They're not picking up the phone. Uh, they're showing up very distraught quite frequently. UM,

they seem evasive, their personality has changed. That's probably the most common is that you know this person needs to be this and now they're that. It's okay to say to someone I think something is happening to you. I want you to know that if you need anything, I will be here for you. Know, we have a tendency as a society to say, oh my god, what's happening to you? We want you to leave, You've got to

get out. UM probably be worth ad by. We could give someone if we think that they're exparentsing that UM. We should allow them to make that choice, simply because there's the best of assessing safety. But we should be available to provide them a phone number or location or refuge or whatever it might be, so that when they are ready to go, we're the person that they know

they can go to. And is there a is there a resource that you can direct people to who are listening, um, and that we can direct people to at Seneca Women that you feel, um, isn't it is important in this moment. We have a list on our website for family and friends who may feel as so, UM, they know someone who might be experiencing domestic violence. If you're referring to victims and survivors, I would certainly encourage them to call

the National Domestic Violence Hotline. And that's that one eight hundred seven nine nine seven two three three one eight hundred seven nine nine spaces. And then of course our website is UH that C A B B got Org. We'll be back after this break. We've heard actually from the u N this week that violence against women is sort of approaching epidemic levels UM in the coronavirus. Is there is there something that listeners can do to support the work you're doing and other organizations are doing so.

Cash donations, of course, are always accepted by our organization, for instance, that also does not get any grants to do the work that we do. So we're always very very happy to be supported by individual donors, and so are local community UM entities. So during this time in particular, we would definitely encourage cash donation. I would also not hesitate to call those entities that you know about, says there's something that you would like for me to do.

Can I volunteer at home? Can I take some of the burden off UM? I know we're searching for volunteers and all the times, so both financial donations and also donations of time. I mean people do people at least have more time on their hands and UM and would like to have an impact. And obviously we're all focused on what the medical workers are doing and are so appreciative of all the frontline works, UM, but there are ways that we who are not frontline workers can contribute,

and I think this is a really important way. So obviously a very difficult time, a very difficult subject and difficult reality. Is there something that makes you optimistic in this moment? Yes, um, you know UM as a survivor myself, kim Um, I came to this work being optimistic that not only could I, but we could we as a nation, could make a change when the World Health Organizations says that the USA is the United States of America is the worst at protecting women. Know, we have a problem

in the station. So I appreciate you saying that, UM, But when I came to this work, I just thought we can make change. What makes me optimistic is having conversations with persons such as yourself about domestic violence and how we can do things differently and um, not just during COVID, So I do have to say I feel a little bit of courage that we're having more and more conversations they've been outside of COVID and people ask

me the question that that you've been asking. What can we do to make sure that the drivers are assisted? And then what can we do to change the paradigm here in the United States and starts to be domestic violence. Well, Ruth, thank you so much for everything uh you do and continue to do, particularly during this moment, and please call on Santeca Woman for anything that you need as you move forward. Thank you so much, Kim, and of course thank you to send to women and we will certainly

give you a call. You're listening to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose, brought to you by the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio with support from founding partner p And Listen to Seneca Women Conversations on Power and Purpose on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and please support this

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