Once you escape an abusive relationship and are finally free from domestic violence and / or sexual assault, you might have expected an immediate sense of relief. A deep relaxation and “breath of fresh air” because they have left a difficult and ugly past experience traded for a new, clean blank slate.

One of the fundamental beliefs at VEST is that domestic violence is a social issue that impacts more than just the individuals who need support and protection. The effects of this type of violence are felt by the entire community and have consequences that affect entire generations.

When you hear the terms “Domestic Violence” and “Sexual Assault” you might think you know exactly what that is. But did you know that these types of malicious behaviors can also be very subtle and hard to recognize. Moreover, through frequent occurrence or how due to biased societal practices or beliefs, you may have become desensitized and become trained to think some types of domestic violence and sexual assault are actual acceptable, rational behaviors.

In March and April of last year, it became necessary to impose strict stay-at-home orders help contain the spread of the coronavirus. A team of sociologist led by Alex R. Piquero of the University of Miami, conducted a study featuring a systematic review of multiple studies on domestic violence incidents. They compared the number of incidents before lockdown versus the number of incidents after lockdown restrictions were put in place.