Services and hotline numbers are available for victims, family and friends
The third week of October marked the Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) annual Week Without Violence which aims to end violence against women and girls. It comes at a needed time. One of the byproducts of the pandemic and previous stay-at-home orders has been a tragic rise in domestic violence. Here are some key statistics compiled by the YWCA:
• An estimated 35 percent of women throughout the world have been victims of violence at some point in their life.
• Women who experience violence against them have higher rates of depression. Sadly, some women do not survive violent acts against them. Throughout the world, 137 women are killed every day by a member of their own family. In 2017, more than 30,000 women were killed intentionally by their current or former intimate partner.
• Less than 40 percent of women who experience violence seek help.
That last part is key and an opening for real solutions as there is help available here in Los Angeles. One way individuals can help is simply by checking in and creating a safe space for friends and family who might be experiencing violence.
There are 24-hour hotlines available in Central L.A. at (213) 626-3396; in South L.A. at (310) 392-8381; and online at Peaceoverviolence.com
The YWCA offers rape survivors the support they need and extends this support to family and friends in a safe, non-judgemental atmosphere out of locations in Compton, South LA, and SouthBay/Long Beach. The 24-hour crisis hotline provides crisis services to callers age 12 and up at (877) 943-5778.
For more information on the ongoing services provided, visit https://ywcagla.org/what-we-do/progams/sexual-assault/
The Jenesse Center, Inc. a nationally recognized, non-profit domestic violence prevention and intervention organization can be reached at (800) 479-7328, its 24/7 hotline for emergency shelter and services. Visit https://jenesse.org/
