The holidays often involve joyful celebrations for many, but starting next week, the Reno Police Department expects to receive an uptick in domestic violence calls. The need for help from local support groups also goes up this season.
Last year Reno Police saw a 40% increase in domestic violence reports on Christmas day and the week leading up to it.
Shannon Petersen is with the Committee to Aid Abused Women, which provides confidential aid like emergency shelter, food, and legal support to people throughout Northern Nevada.
She says this time of year can be uniquely challenging for families.
“There is a lot of additional tension during the holidays based around additional family coming or having to make travel plans, also the expenses of the holidays," Petersen says. "So that might create a higher tension and may therefore support increased abuse.”
Petersen says that in situations involving children, often times the victims try to get through the holidays first, for the sake of their kids, before trying to leave an abusive relationship.
“We sometimes will see the numbers are greater after the holidays and it’s just very different depending on each family’s circumstance because domestic violence is so complicated," Petersen says. "And each survivor knows their abuser best and so it really depends on when it’s safest for them to leave that situation.”
According to the Violence Policy Center, Nevada is ranked 6th highest in the nation for the number of women killed by men in domestic relationships.
