• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Alliance for Hope International

(0)Login
Login

Escape

Social iconSocial iconSocial icon

    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Board
      • HOPE Rising Award
      • Lifetime Achievement Award
      • Join Our Mailing List
      • Annual Reports
      • Conference Hope Survey Reports
    • Our History
    • Training
      • Conferences and Events
      • HOPE Hub
      • Privacy Policy
      • Online Resource Library
    • Programs
    • News and Media
    • Shop Now
    • Donate
      • Check us out on Guidestar
      • Supporters
      • Conference Supporters
    • Contact Us

    • Blog
    • News & Media
    • HOPE Hub
    • CFJCN
    • SHOP Now
    • Donate
    • AFHI

    Domestic Violence cases rise in WNY

    April 8, 2020

    Story by: MIKE BAGGERMAN

    Family Justice Center on resources to help victims during COVID-19 pandemic

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Domestic violence cases are on the rise in Western New York.

    Niagara County District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek said that there were 674 cases of domestic violence between January and April of last year. This year, the number rose to 773 from the same timeframe.

    CLICK HERE FOR THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER WEBSITE

    Wojtaszek said that factors like the quarantine, loss of incomes, homeschooling, and other stressors have contributed to the rise of domestic violence in Niagara County.

    “In our office, we’re still conducting arraignments in court and we’re seeing nearly half of the arraignments every day (associated) with domestic violence,” Wojtaszek said Tuesday.

    Erie County did not have concrete data regarding domestic violence from the district attorney’s office and our efforts to reach Central Police Services were unsuccessful. However, Mary Travers Murphy, the CEO of the Family Justice Center of Erie County, said that there has been an increase everywhere in the region, including Erie County.

    “We knew when the state issued the mandate that we needed to work off-site and remotely that the incidents of domestic violence were going to skyrocket. The district attorney, John Flynn, called it a ‘powder keg’, which it’s proven to be.”

    To help accommodate domestic violence victims, the Family Justice Center is still answering phones. However, despite an inability to meet with victims in person, they’re still offering all the resources they can online. Those online resources include a message box where they can privately share messages with an advocate and a button on their website that will allow a victim to quickly leave the website in case they are in danger.

    FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 716-558-SAFE (7233)

    “If you need an order of protection we’ve got you covered,” Murphy said. “We’re teleconferencing with family court judges who are all working remotely at this point. They do have some (in their office) but the beauty is, thanks to technology, you don’t have to go to court to get those emergency orders of protection.”

    The Family Justice Center can help draft the appropriate documents for any person who is in a domestic violence situation.

    Murphy said that leaving the house isn’t always the best option because there may not be a safety plan in place. However, staying at home has caused a rise in domestic violence cases.

    “Safety planning with a domestic violence advocate is key,” she said. “We’ve got new tips, tools, and technologies working for us on how to help people who can make that call. In some cases, going into the bathroom and turning on the shower with your telephone or laptop is a good option.”

    There are subtle ways to contact the Family Justice Center. Murphy suggests switching the conversation to make it appear as if you are having a conversation with your boss or discussing a topic such as Clorox wipes.

    “What the advocate can do very quickly in the beginning of the conversation is create a safety plan in the event that a perpetrator walks into the room and how to handle it,” she said. “We’ve had numerous, numerous successful outcomes.”

    As advocates, they can also contact authorities using Zoom calls.

    They are also relying on friends and family members to contact them so that those who know the victim can receive the appropriate strategies to have the difficult conversation with the victim themselves. The ultimate goal is for the victim to have the courage to contact the advocates personally.

    Click here to read the original story.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Top Articles

    • Strangulation in sex can increase risk of stroke and brain injuries, distressing study finds
    • read more »
    • Strangled Victims Need Imaging
    • read more »
    • What Parents Need to Know About the Choking Game
    • read more »
    • Choking someone is often prelude to future homicide
    • read more »
    • Strangulation and Domestic Violence Murders
    • read more »

    Join Us Now & stay informed

    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    our programs

    Nfjca Logo 2018 1
    Trainingiinstitute
    Cha Logo V12.28.18 2
    Justice
    Voices

    Logo Footer 501 W. Broadway, Ste A #625, San Diego, CA 92101 (888) 511-3522 | 1110 Hemphill St. Fort Worth, TX 76104
    © 2022 Alliance for HOPE International. All Rights Reserved. Design by TinyFrog Technologies.

    Login

    Lost Your Password?
    Register
    Don't have an account? Register one!
    Register an Account

    Registration confirmation will be emailed to you.