We must make these investments to stem domestic violence in New Castle County and Delaware

Matt Meyer
·3 min read

Rates of domestic and intimate partner violence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many of our organizations supporting survivors of domestic violence scrambled to find resources, too many of our friends and neighbors were victimized within their own homes.

And for so many survivors, the epidemic of violence has continued far longer than the pandemic did.

We must be the First State in the nation in supporting our most vulnerable.

This October — National Domestic Violence Awareness Month — we are proposing the largest ever investment by our state's largest government to support survivors.

Domestic violence continues to be a profound and pervasive social and public health crisis crossing lines of class, race, ethnicity, and sexuality. Domestic violence is often hidden in plain sight, and most of us know someone impacted by violence or abuse.

Domestic violence homicides in Delaware have nearly doubled in the past year, according to Mariann Kenville-Moore, director of advocacy and policy for the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Domestic violence homicides in Delaware have nearly doubled in the past year, according to Mariann Kenville-Moore, director of advocacy and policy for the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women (33%) and one in four men (25%) are victims of intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetime. The statistics are even worse here in Delaware where 38% of women and 33% of men experience domestic violence.

Domestic abuse comes in many forms, including verbal, emotional, and physical. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, a shadow pandemic of intimate partner violence saw record-breaking outreach to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. While domestic violence was on the rise, many of our local organizations who support survivors of domestic violence in Delaware were severely impacted financially. Thanks to the leadership of President Joe Biden and our federal delegation through The American Rescue Plan, New Castle County Council was able to designate significant federal resources to help Delaware organizations continue to help some of our most vulnerable in our communities.

Proposed investments for New Castle County

I am proposing to New Castle County Council the following investments to help those who serve domestic violence survivors:

  • $375,000 for Child Inc’s efforts to expand the work of Domestic Violence Community Health Workers as well as to support survivors, their families and those at risk of domestic violence.

  • $344,075 for YWCA to support their Sexual Assault Response Center. This funding will help them maintain their capacity for the increased need they saw during the pandemic, particularly in low-income and historically marginalized communities. The YWCA's Sexual Assault Response Center is Delaware's highest-volume provider of comprehensive, free and confidential crisis services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

  • $100,000 for Amanecer, formerly known as St. Paul’s Counseling, to expand their bilingual, culturally-sensitive behavioral health counseling and therapy, as well as emergency resources to assist female victims of domestic violence in crisis situations.

  • $50,000 for Delaware Center for Justice to expand their Adult Victim’s Services program, many of whom are victims of domestic violence. The program utilizes specialized, intensive, long-term case management and therapy services to address individual trauma and improve coping skills for their clients as they navigate the complex criminal justice and social service systems.

October, again, is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Let us raise both awareness and funds to support survivors of domestic violence. The investments I am proposing will help local nonprofits continue providing critical services for those experiencing domestic violence.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Biden, our federal delegation and New Castle County Council, we are investing federal resources so that we come out of COVID stronger than ever by supporting and protecting the most vulnerable. It is imperative that we continue our collaborative efforts to provide long-term funding to continue these critical services.

How to seek help

If you or anyone you know is experiencing the trauma of domestic violence, help is available. Please call one of Delawares 24-hour domestic violence hotlines. Together, we can help stop domestic violence in Delaware.

  • New Castle County: 302-762-6110

  • Kent and Sussex counties at 302-422-8058

  • Abbriendo puertas: 302-745-9874

Matt Meyer is the County Executive of New Castle County.

New County County Executive Matt Meyer
New County County Executive Matt Meyer

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Delaware domestic violence: How we can make a difference.