Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Family Justice Center of Erie County, an organization that provides services and support to individuals in unhealthy relationships, tells WBEN they have seen a large increase of calls and reports this year of domestic violence compared to last year, particularly strangulations.
"Years prior, we have reports that indicate between 150 to 200 strangulations, and this year alone, we haven't even finished the year, we have 634 strangulations counted as of October," said Ava Thomas, Director of Operations at the Family Justice Center of Erie County.
What is causing the increase?
"I think we're seeing the aftermath of a lot of things that happened in our community that can make tensions rise in households and in relationships," said Thomas. "We had the horrific mass shooting last year, we had the horrible Blizzard last year, all of these things can make tensions rise within relationships. It impacts survivors greatly, so whatever is happening outside in the community tends to leak inside the home as well."
From January-September 2023, the Family Justice Center has written and assisted with 257 family offense petitions (orders of protection).
In October 2023 alone, 78% of the Justice Center's clients scored in the Severe/Extreme Danger category on the Danger Assessment, which is assessments groups like the Family Justice Center use that helps to determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her intimate partner.
"I think we're not necessarily not necessarily seeing a dramatic increase in the client numbers in the same way during COVID, during lockdown, but what we are seeing is this dramatic increase in the level of violence that's happening, an increase in the strangulation and increase in the lethality risks that we're dealing with with our clients," said Thomas.
Clients who report a strangulation and/or have a high Danger Assessment score often require extensive services and are at extreme risk of significant harm/homicide.
"When we have cases where there's a strangulation involved, when we have cases where their danger or legality assessment is extremely high, it becomes even more of a concern with that person that we're working with. It takes extra care, it takes extra staff, it takes a lot more community resources to help try and keep this person safe."
The Family Justice Center says they have and will be working closer with Erie County officials to spread the message this year.
"We're just looking for this information to be available to the public, for strangulations to be at the forefront of concerns in terms of medical providers in terms of EMTs and law enforcement. We really just want to place this epidemic in the forefront of everyone and everything that's going to be coming in contact with survivors."
For a full list of all the services the Family Justice Center offers, you can click here or if you need someone to speak to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also text START to 88788.