3 out of 10 people experienced increased strain in their romantic relationships during the coronavirus pandemic (Blue Shield of California 2021). Conditions were hard for everyone, but not equally. Here at La Casa, calls for help are higher than ever. On our 24-hour statewide, toll-free telephone lines, calls are trending 37% above pre-pandemic levels. On our Text Support Line, conversations have surged 200%.

What can you do? If you see something, say something. If you are worried about someone, ask. If you don’t know what to do after you ask, it’s easier than you think: listen, offer support, ask how you can help.

When was the last time you prioritized yourself and walked away from a bad situation? What did you do to prepare yourself for that change? What resources did you have in place to make it possible?

Physical and sexual assaults are the most apparent forms of domestic violence and the actions that are usually most evident to others. However, these forms of abuse are typically the tip of the iceberg. The Power and Control Wheel, created in 1984 by the Duluth Minnesota Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, helps to demonstrate the varied types of abuse and how they denigrate a survivor’s sense of options and agency.

Two years after the emergence of the coronavirus, we did not expect to find ourselves in the current conditions we are all managing. How's it going at La Casa? What does the most recent surge mean for accessing domestic violence support and services?