Domestic violence on the rise during pandemic

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According to The World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women worldwide and 1 in 4 men have been subjected to physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. 

In 2017, there were 91,004 reported victims and 105 reported murders related to domestic violence, according to the Michigan State Police’s “Crime in Michigan” report. 

“Already in 2021, we have seen more domestic calls here in Lansing than in all of 2020 and it’s only October,” said Jeremiah Wonnacott, a Lansing police officer who is part of the department’s domestic unit.

Lansing isn’t the only city experiencing this. During the pandemic, there has been an increase in domestic violence incidents during lockdown restrictions across the nation, according to a study by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice.

“During the pandemic, everyone was told to stay safe and stay home but, staying home is not safe for everyone so we have been a lot busier during the pandemic. It really is a pandemic within a pandemic,” said Tanesha Ash-Shakoor, founder and CEO of Voices of Color.

Voices of Color is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate and prevent domestic violence for all people and work toward restoring self empowerment for victims and survivors. 

Ash-Shakoor started Voices of Color after realizing that “there were so many people in the area that still needed resources and more victims and survivors than one shelter could handle.”

“I had no idea that this would ultimately be what I would do, but when I was in law school I took a course called ‘Battered Women.’ In that class I realized that my colleagues were idiots when it came to domestic violence,” Ash-Shakoor said. “That was the beginning of me realizing that this is something that I really want to change. I knew that I wanted to change the narrative and give a voice to the voiceless.”

Voices of Color held its third annual domestic violence rally at the Lansing state Capitol last September. People gathered from across Michigan to share their stories and to spread support for victims and survivors of domestic violence. 

Another organization working to raise awareness on the growing issue of domestic violence in Lansing is MSU Safe Place. 

On Oct. 14, Lansing’s annual domestic violence candlelight vigil was held at the Fenner Nature Center. The event was presented by Capital Area Response Effort, MSU Safe Place and End Violent Encounters. 

Every attendee lit a candle to remember victims of domestic violence including four women who passed away in the Lansing community over the past year. The candlelight vigil is an annual event that has taken place since 2001. 

“The purpose of the event is to celebrate survivors, remember those we have lost to domestic violence and take a stand against domestic violence,” said Alyssa Baumann, an advocacy coordinator at MSU Safe Place.

MSU Safe Place provides advocacy, shelter, counseling, support groups, and safety planning to survivors in the Lansing area. In 2019, MSU Safe Place housed 43 adults and children in its shelter, providing 2,445 days of safe shelter. MSU Safe Place also provided advocacy, counseling and other support to 119 adult clients. 

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