Being stuck in lockdown is tough, but for some people who are stuck at home with an abusive partner it is even tougher.
Services across greater Sydney are doing their best support families experiencing domestic violence as calls to crisis lines surge.
The Family Co chief executive Ashleigh Daines said the Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service received on average 350 referrals from Sutherland Shire and St George Police each month for immediate domestic and family violence support.
"The COVID-19 situation and subsequent lockdowns have increased complexity around domestic violence reporting and domestic violence support, and while on average we haven't seen a substantial peak in referrals to our service, we have had a lot of feedback about the increased difficulties women face in lockdown (when living with the perpetrator of the violence)," she said.
"For people who have left a violent relationship, the lockdowns have given them an opportunity to seek help via remote channels that they may not have been able to access previously due to work demands.
"We did notice that the week the Sydney lockdown was announced, we experienced a 60 per cent increase in calls for support ahead of lockdown.
"There was a combination of traditional intimate partner violence, but also an emerging concern around violence between adult children still living at home with their parents.
"We have noticed that this month (July 2021), we have received a 20 per cent increase in referrals since the same period last year."
Ms Daines said staff had also noticed a surge in the severity of the cases being referred to the service.
"What we are noticing is a significant increase in the risk assessment of the referrals we get, with many more cases being considered where women are under serious physical threat of harm," she said.
"What this means for our service is there is more demand on protection and security services as we have to employ additional measures to keep women safe from serious/ life threatening harm from a threatening (ex or) partner."
Women are also concerned that restrictions on certain regions of greater Sydney could prevent them from seeking support.
Ms Daines said women often experienced additional barriers to leaving their situation, including the rise in the local property market, income insecurity and increased isolation.
"The nature of lockdown restrictions, employment pressures and other factors can exacerbate triggers for domestic violence," she said.
"The restrictions can be further used by perpetrators to isolate their victims and increase their dependency on them."
Police and Emergency Services minister David Elliott said police were committed to protecting victims and will increase efforts to combat violence in the home following the government's latest stay-at-home order.
"Fleeing a violent or an abusive relationship, or seeking domestic and family violence-related services, is a reasonable excuse to leave your home," Mr Elliott said.
"While officers will continue to protect the community by ensuring the public complies with public health orders, domestic violence victims will also be a paramount concern with police conducting thousands of Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) compliance checks to keep victims safe."
Ms Daines said it was especially important during lockdown for women to try to reach out to get support - 'to have a person who can listen to them, believe them, and give them emotional and practical support that can help them make clearer decisions about their options for the future'.
"It is important to have safety planning conversations to know in advance what to do if violence escalates to ensure physical safety, how to diffuse escalating tensions, or how to get appropriate help that doesn't further jeopardise safety of all family members," she said.
"Support services can also provide access to information, referrals and advocacy in accessing various government and non-government services and systems, which can improve chances of obtaining safe and affordable housing or a secure income.
"It is important for women to know that the lockdown restrictions don't apply to them if they need to leave the home to safely access support services. They can go for a walk, or get in the car, separating themselves from the perpetrator in order to get help."
The Family Co. offers a range of services to the community - not just those affected by domestic violence, but also families struggling with a variety of challenges in their home and family life.
Families in need of support can reach out to the Southern Sydney Women's DVCAS on 8508 4300 (Sutherland Shire) or 8508 4350 (St George) or they can reach out to The Family Co. directly on 9528 2933 or via info@thefamilyco.org.au.
Anyone experiencing domestic or family violence should report to police or call:
- 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
- NSW Domestic Violence Line (1800 65 64 63)
- Men's Referral Service (1300 766 491)
- Link2Home (1800 152 152)
- Lifeline (13 11 14)
Anyone with information about domestic and family violence incidents is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
