The past couple weeks have been busy for Middle Way House.
The nearly non-stop media coverage evaluating the credibility of Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has created a challenging atmosphere for staff at Middle Way, a domestic violence and sexual assault support center in Bloomington.
“They live this every day,” executive director Debra Morrow said. “They live hearing these stories.”
Calls to the center’s crisis line have increased in the past couple weeks, said Stephanie Waller, one of two crisis intervention services coordinators. While weekly metrics aren’t tracked, the program received 356 calls in September 2018 — up more than 100 from September 2017.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the cause of this increase. Media attention on Kavanaugh’s confirmation could have provoked emotions from a past trauma, Waller said, but the underlying reasoning is seldom explained.
This is not the first time survivors of sexual assault have had to navigate potentially triggering media coverage. From May 2017 – before the resurgence of the #MeToo movement – to August 2018, articles on sexual assault have increased by 30 percent, according to a study by the Women’s Media Center.
“We have weathered our way through many, many storms,” Waller said. “This is just the biggest one in recent memory.”
When someone calls the crisis line, which operates at all hours every day of the year, a trained volunteer will help determine the caller's need. Some seek resources, others seek a listening ear.
In some cases, the volunteer will direct people to on-scene advocates who accompany those seeking assistance to the hospital, police station and a few other public places.
The decision whether to report an instance of sexual or domestic violence — though heavily discussed on social media — is not an issue on which Middle Way House takes a stand.
“Survivors can feel a lot of pressure to report or not report, depending on their situation,” Waller said. “We are not there to be another source of pressure on them.”
Waller said the onset of #whyIdidntreport can offer a sense of validation for people navigating those pressures.
“There are very important reasons why people choose not to do this,” Waller said.
While Ford has been applauded for her bravery, Morrow said some people may find bravery in keeping their stories private, which is OK.
And despite national controversy, locals still contact Middle Way House for the same basic services. Problems like housing and food insecurity remain unchanged.
“We're still here for survivors,” Waller said. “Survivors still need us.”
Fulfilling those essential needs is accompanied by an effort to prevent peers and clients from feeling hopeless, Waller said.
Middle Way House has organized several events throughout October in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Waller said keeping a forward-thinking mindset, and leading by example, is key.
“This was hard, but things have been hard already,” Waller said. “We’re going to keep going no matter what.”
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Middle Way House received 356 calls from January to September 2018, when in fact it received 356 calls in just the month of September. This is up more than 100 from September 2017, not the entire year 2017. The IDS regrets this error.
