During the COVID-19 pandemic, many households that suffer from heightened amounts of domestic abuse, financial loss, and isolation have been faced with lay-offs, home school, and quarantine measures deepening these areas of household stress. At worst, survivors of domestic violence have been forced into social distance practices with their domestic abusers. Since domestic violence thrives in secrecy, stress, and isolation, victims of domestic violence must seek protection during the COVID-19 stay at home orders.
According to the California Victim Compensation Board, there are safety measures that can be taken by survivors of domestic violence.
- Create a Personal Safety Plan
To help to reduce the risk of injury from violence, it can help to be aware of:
- Identify exits.
- Practice your escape plan.
- Establishing with friends, family, or trusted network, a sign or safety word to alert law enforcement.
- Teaching children how to dial 911.
- Removing weapons from the home or relocating them to hard-to-reach places.
- Position your vehicle to aid with a quick escape if needed and keep it filled with gas.
- Contact a domestic violence advocate who can assist with making a safety plan and provide additional necessary resources.
- When contacting an advocate, be cautious about how you contact them. Using a device that an abuser may have access to can jeopardize your safety. Use a prepaid cell phone or a friend’s phone if possible.
To apply for Victim Compensation
- Create an application using CalVCB Online — a secure and private portal that can be easily accessed from a smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Contact a local county Victim Witness Assistance Center.
- Call the CalVCB Help Line at (800) 777-9229.
- Download an application from CalVCB’s How to Apply page.
- Visit the CalVCB website at https://victims.ca.gov/for-victims/
Additional Resources
- Telehealth services are available for medical, mental health, and education services. CalVCB allows up to 5 telehealth services per application, for a service provider to apply to offer additional sessions, they can submit an application.
- Downloading the NCTCC Mobile Application can help with creating a Safety Plan on your mobile device. Visit: https://nctcc.org/nctcc-app/
