This number is the finding of the annual National Network to End Domestic Violence census, the results of which were released last month.
The report shows an increase in requests for help since last year, when 1,708 victims sought help in Indiana on the day of the 2014 census.
Each year, the nonprofit spends one 24-hour period collecting data from domestic violence programs across the country, including Middle Way House in Bloomington. This year, it was conducted on September 10, a random date chosen to reflect what an average day is like for domestic abuse services.
According to Laura Berry, the executive director of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, this year’s increase is likely due to the amount of media attention focused on domestic violence in 2015. She said highly publicized cases, like those recently publicized relating to the NFL, help individuals feel more comfortable and confident when seeking help for themselves.
“The fact that there’s less stigma related to domestic abuse and that individuals feel more comfortable accessing services is a great thing,” Berry said. “What’s not okay is that when they finally have made that step and found the courage to leave, we might not have space for them.”
In Indiana alone, there were 182 unmet requests for services from domestic abuse victims, most of whom were seeking safe emergency housing.
“According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 10,773 babies are born each day in America,” Kim Gandy, the president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, said in a press release. “Contrasting this heartwarming number is the devastating 10,871 unmet requests for help, shelter, counseling and services from victims in just one day across the United States.”
Berry noted the number of women being turned away from shelters is partially due to the recent economic recession. Many victims of domestic violence are currently unemployed and can’t afford housing without the financial help of their abuser. Because of this, they have to turn to shelters.
In addition, many shelters in Indiana have begun using a more comprehensive approach to help abuse victims get back on their feet. Berry said victims who stay in shelters are becoming more stable and self-sufficient and less likely to return to their abuser and end up seeking services again.
“The downside is that it takes more time, so we have less beds available,” Berry said. “Calling and asking for help is one of the hardest things victims of domestic abuse have to do. Having to turn them away is unacceptable.”
In order to avoid a situation where they would have to reject someone in need of help, the ICADV recently established an emergency housing and transportation fund.
“If someone calls and we don’t have shelter for them, we’ll get them into emergency housing by paying for them to stay in a hotel or paying for transportation to get them to a safe place,” Berry said.
This new program has been made possible with a grant from Verizon Wireless.
Since the program began June 1, they have already received three housing requests which could not be met by local shelters. Meeting the needs from those three requests cost more than $2,000.
“At this rate, we’ll probably be using this program to meet a minimum of five requests per month,” Berry said. “They’ve been fairly significant requests — one was for a family of nine. It’s not going to be cheap, but it is a crucial program to have.”
