Seattle, WA. According to LifeWire, a nonprofit that offers support to victims of domestic violence, there has been an uptick in domestic abuse that correlates with the need to stay home during the pandemic. “Quarantining at home with an abusive partner is very dangerous,” explained Rachel Krinsky, Executive Director of LifeWire. “Domestic abuse is based in power and control; and when people are trapped at home together, power and control are just much more intense. And so, survivors are more isolated, they are more controlled, they are more vulnerable to coercion– all of those mechanisms of abuse are much more intense, and so there is more frequency and severity of abuse of all kinds.” The opportunities survivors used to have to get some distance from their abusive partners have slimmed as many individuals are not going into work right now.
LifeWire offers emotional and logistical support to families that suffer from domestic abuse.
LifeWire is a Seattle-based nonprofit that offers a variety of services to both men and women who are in an abusive relationship. Professionals listen to individual survivors and help them identify resources and develop a plan to build a safer life for themselves. LifeWire provides temporary housing for victims believing that “no survivor should have to choose between staying in an abusive relationship and becoming homeless.” Staffers also provide therapy and facilitate support groups for victims to recover from past traumas. The emotional and logistical support that the nonprofit provides to help victims break free from abuse is in high demand right now. Rachel Krinsky explained: “We have folks coming back to us who hadn’t needed services in a long time– yet on the flip-side, we have people who have not been reaching out to us because they have not been able to find windows to do that.”
Temporary housing provides refuge to survivors of domestic abuse and their children.
Furthermore, the economic struggles brought on by this pandemic especially impact victims who financially depend on their abusive partner, making it increasingly difficult to become independent. LifeWire has experienced an overwhelming increase in demand for emergency funding, rental assistance, food assistance, and other kinds of services. The nonprofit has shifted all services online, with the exception of temporary housing. It continues to provide therapy, support groups, individual advocacy, legal advocacy, and financial support amidst the challenges of this pandemic. LifeWire provides temporary housing that offers people their own bedrooms and shared communal living space. With safety precautions put in place to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, there have not been any outbreaks in temporary housing units thus far.
LifeWire also works to prevent domestic abuse by giving educational presentations on healthy relationships to high school students and college students in the Bellevue area. These presentations help students identify toxic relationships and open up a conversation about domestic abuse. LifeWire continues to give these presentations via video conference. “I think it’s just really important for all people, and for young people, to understand that healthy relationships don’t involve cohesion and control,” said Rachel Krinsky, Executive Director of LifeWire. “They involve people getting to care for each other, but they don’t involve intense jealousy and they don’t involve harm. There’s a lot of complexity there and that’s why we need to have those conversations– with each other, and in families, and in friend groups– and that’s why we encourage people to talk about these issues.”
Andrea and her newborn baby moved into LifeWire’s shelter during the pandemic.
From LifeWire:
If you find yourself suffering from domestic violence, do not hesitate to call LifeWire’s 24-hour helpline. If you would like to support LifeWire as they strive to meet the increasing demands of their services during this time, you can do so here.
LifeWire’s missing statement: “Our mission is to end domestic violence by changing individual, institutional, and societal beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate it. Domestic violence is a human rights issue. LifeWire envisions a world in which every person lives in a safe environment, free from oppression and with the opportunity to thrive.”
