It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (At least for some of us)

The holiday season is upon us with Christmas music, decorations, buying presents, giving to the less fortunate, and spending quality time with family and friends. Even though the holiday season tends to bring out the best in people, it is important to keep in mind that domestic violence, sexual assault, and other serious crimes unfortunately never take a day off.

However, the National Domestic Violence Hotline reports a decrease in calls, nearly 53 percent fewer on or around Christmas day. This could be due to survivors wanting to “keep the peace” for the holidays; it could also be because they don’t want to disturb Christmas for their children or more importantly, survivors may not be able to find a safe and private place to make a call to a hotline number during this busy season. Whatever the reasoning, although hotline calls may seem to decrease around Christmas time, the holiday season doesn’t last forever, and victims will always be in need of services such as emergency shelter, counseling, medical advocacy and legal advocacy, just to name a few.

                                                                     

It is important to remember that abuse involves power and control. Just because someone may not be experiencing physical abuse doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing other types such as verbal, emotional, and mental abuse. It is important to remember that abuse comes in many forms and to be able to recognize signs of abuse such as isolation, withdrawal, denial and blame are only a select few.

If you suspect someone in your life is a victim of abuse offer support but don’t be forceful with what you feel they should do, refer them to local resources that can offer services, and ultimately make sure they know that you are there for them regarding any decision that they choose to make.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays.

Written by: Bernadette F., Union County Legal Advocate