Domestic violence help calls are surging. Try texting them back.
On Protecting Women In The Digital Space Through A Pandemic
I hear it before I see it. A bang. A shriek. I listen through the door, my phone clutched by my side, ready to call the police. Through the peephole, I hold my breath and watch the hallway as my neighbor shrieks “Get the hell out!” to a man who I recognize as her husband. A shoe thumps against the wall. She tries to run. The man wrestles her back inside by the neck, choking her. Their front door slams. Then, silence.
I call for a welfare check, my heart still thumping in my ears.
My neighbor is one of many women who are not only trapped at home but trapped with their abuser.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 65% of recent physical assaults by a male were likely happening in people’s own homes. In the age of COVID-19, a large segment of the population is being forced to work out of home or are out of work altogether. As a result, many women may be increasingly disconnected from their family, friends, and in many cases, their way out of an abusive household.
While we are far from seeing the full impact of this pandemic, one thing is clear: COVID-19 is creating new tools for abusers. Since Australia has entered a state of emergency, domestic violence frontline workers have seen increased physical abuse, psychological manipulation, and a critical need for resources to support quarantined women across the country.
Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, notes that:
“Perpetrators are threatening to throw their victims out on the street so they get sick. We’ve heard of some withholding financial resources or medical assistance.”
Even if victims seek help, if they are at home with their abuser, it is nearly impossible for them to speak up without fear of retribution.
Tracey Turner works at the Sydney Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service, an organization that administers NSW Government funding for a network of state services. Following many recent calls with people trying to access services, she says, “If I do get through to someone on the phone, I’ve had to read between the lines, you know because the person of interest is in the house with my client.”
What if they can’t even connect with someone on the phone, let alone speak freely? We as a society have an opportunity, and an obligation, to provide another avenue. There’s one way women can say it all without uttering a word: support via text message.
We have a critical chance to give women a voice online. Global innovation has sprung into action to address this challenge, and organizations around the world are finding creative ways to help women to speak up.
The Crisis Text Line offers 24/7 support and counseling through text. The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers free and confidential chat options in addition to a phone safety line.
With the world in many ways closed for business, crisis phone lines are overwhelmed, and domestic violence is surging. However, hope — and help — lies in the digital space.
Across Europe, many victims are using code words at pharmacies and grocery stores to escape violence while in lockdown. In the United States, the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers a nonverbal means of contact both online and via a text service. The United Kingdom recently created a solution allowing people to silently call the police from their touch phones, thereby giving victims a voice without saying a word. Meanwhile, chatbots are more important now than ever to empower those in need.
Across the world, these digital resources are not only a crucial tool for victims but also an invaluable way to gather first-hand data to respond to the crisis and educate the wider community.
With the help of online initiatives around the world, the global database of women’s voices gets stronger every day. The more victims we can empower to share their stories, the faster we can change the story.
The future of this fight for women lies in the digital space. As a society, we must continue to capitalize on the power of virtual tools to increase awareness, educate the public, and promote funding to support women in need around the world. Long after we have weathered this storm, this movement must live on — and online.
In the deafening silence after my neighbor’s door slams, I’m reminded of all the women experiencing a spike in domestic violence in the age of COVID-19. Behind closed doors, every victim has a story to tell. With a simple text, we can make sure they are heard.