Like dominoes, one pandemic scouring the nation evokes another. The increase in domestic violence exacerbated by nationwide lockdowns has become a second pandemic. At the same time, it’s also becoming more difficult for some survivors to get help. In Audrain County, the number of survivors seeking help from a local support organization has decreased considerably during lockdown.
Audrain County Crisis Intervention Services is a nonprofit organization based in Mexico, Missouri. ACCIS provides a variety of resources and services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Executive Director Peggy Payne says “our number [of cases we are assisting with] are down 35 to 45 percent compared to what they were in 2019.” She says circumstances associated with lockdowns have prevented victims of violence from seeking assistance.
Over the last year, batterers have used the pandemic to gain further control over the lives of their victims.
Payne says “Victims were being told ‘If you go to the grocery store, you can't come back here because you might bring that virus back into this house. You can't visit with your family, you can't do this, you can't do that, you have to stay right here.’”
ACCIS currently holds support groups online for sexual assault victims, domestic violence victims and a teens only group, but the new method is not ideal.
“A lot of times people either don’t have a stable internet connection, or they don’t have the equipment or it’s not safe” says Payne.
Not only are group members missing out on essential in-person interactions, but often victims live with their abuser and have their online activity monitored and are unable to utilize this service out of fear of being caught.
The ongoing pandemic has also hindered the ability of ACCIS to provide their usual housing services due to health and safety precautions.
“We have a 10 bed shelter. Now we can only put one family or one person per room so that's three rooms.”
Payne says those who are seeking help during the pandemic are often severe cases where “the abuse is just astronomical for that victim.”
Even without the complications surrounding the pandemic, the reasons people remain in intimate relationships with their abusers are varied. Wanda (which is a pseudonym to protect her identity) is a survivor of domestic violence who discovered ACCIS in 2010.
Wanda says “they say it takes somebody like seven times to leave and that’s a real thing.” She experienced first-hand how the fears of homelessness and financial instability can keep someone in a relationship with an abuser. The 2020 recession further intensifies these factors for survivors.
“Once I left I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing,” Wanda said. She slept in a car for a week after the day she drove away, leaving her oldest child with family and keeping her 7-month-old baby with her.
With the constant fear her abuser may come and terrorize her, Wanda searched for options. Having come into contact with a police officer through a friend, the officer had told her about ACCIS and the services they provided.
Wanda called ACCIS, an advocate answered and said “we don’t have any room, but keep calling back because numbers change.” After they hung up, Wanda decided she would never call back again and contemplated returning to her abuser.
“I was tired of being in the car. I was tired of depending on other people,” Wanda says.
Then, her phone rang. The advocates on the line told her “we have a couch and if you want it it’s yours.” She drove to Mexico that day.
“If I would’ve known there were shelters out there and services then I definitely would’ve left sooner,” Wanda said.
Statements like this are why ACCIS makes education and awareness a priority for their organization. Volunteer Coordinator Kirsten Bledsoe believes that “education leads to prevention.” With her job at ACCIS, she also promotes the organization and its events on social media.
“Everybody wants their town to be wholesome and good, and unfortunately, that’s just not realistic.” says Bledsoe.
Abuse can be found in towns big and small across America and the problem lies when people choose not to see it. Domestic violence is not just a woman’s problem either. In 2020, 15.8% of ACCIS’s domestic violence case management was for men and 14.2% was for children under 18.
Despite the limitations of the pandemic, ACCIS still works to provide survivors with a judgment-free space. Their priority is to provide comfort and resources to mid-Missouri residents in need.
ACCIS workers hope that as more people are vaccinated against COVID-19, survivors will again be able to safely escape the homes their abusers have trapped them in. Wanda says advocates are ready “to be that light in somebody’s life,” to help more people and once again host in-person support services.
Audrain County Crisis Intervention Services 24-hour Hotline: 1-800-246-2280
Columbia Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: (573) 875-1370
National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233) and TTY (800) 787-3224.