Do Domestic Violence Incidents Really Spike During the Holidays?

People have a lot of different beliefs about domestic violence and what triggers it: some of them are based in truth and some are not. Some people believe that domestic violence gets worse when the abuser’s sports team loses, or that domestic violence incidents spike during the holidays. Whether these and other myths are true or not may be statistically interesting, but they are nowhere close to as important as knowing what to do if you have been a victim of domestic violence yourself. Whether things are getting better or worse around holiday time, if you have been the target of abuse and you need help, contact the attorneys at Wallace Law. We can help you get a restraining order in South Jersey so that you can feel safe and secure.

The question of whether domestic violence incidents really spike during the holidays has no good answer. Statistics derived from the National Domestic Violence Hotline actually show that the number of calls to the hotline go down around Christmas and New Years’, yet other reports show that calls to local police and law enforcement go up, with New Year’s Day being one of the busiest days of the year for calls for help.  Experts in domestic violence say that the reason for the discrepancy is that victims of domestic abuse do not want to embark on a big action like what is represented by calling the National hotline around the holidays: instead they simply look for intervention that will provide them with a quick answer, then take more permanent action a couple of weeks after the holidays are over, and family and friends are no longer around.

Still, the holidays can create heightened tension in a situation where domestic violence is likely to occur. Between financial pressures brought on by the gift-giving season and entertaining and an increased consumption of alcohol, stress levels are high, and that raises the risk of extreme behavior. If you have already been a victim in the past then you need to be prepared for it to happen again: that means that it’s a good idea to have an emergency kit ready if you have to leave quickly, and have telephone numbers of emergency contacts and domestic abuse hotlines programmed into your phone. Also, be aware that the National Domestic Violence Hotline has added online chat and texting, so if you are in a situation where you feel unable to talk outloud but can text, those can be extremely valuable.

If you believe that you are in danger and have already been a victim of one of the 14 criminal offenses that qualify as grounds, getting a restraining order in South Jersey may be your most effective means of protecting yourself. These offenses include sexual assault, harassment or stalking, false imprisonment, and assault. The experienced and compassionate attorneys at Wallace Law have helped many victims of domestic violence, and can help you too. Call us whenever you need us and we will respond quickly and effectively.