During this pandemic, we're being we're being told we're 'Safer at Home.'
But imagine your home, being where you feel least safe.
That's the reality for thousands of people in Southwest Florida every single day because of domestic violence.
MORNING NEWS.THERE IS A LOT TO BE STRESSEDABOUT RIGHT NOW.
YOUR HEALTYOUR FAMILY.
YOUR JOB.
WE’VETOLD YOU EXPERTS EXPECT A SPIKEIN DIVORCE BECAUSE OF ALL THISSTRESS.
BUT THERE’S ALSOSOMETHING ELSE ON THE RISE --DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.:45-:51RIGHT NOW, WE’RE BEING WE’BEING TOLD WE’RE ’SAFER ATHOME.’ BUT IMAGINE YOUR HOME,BEING WHERE YOU FEEL LEAST SAFETHAT IS THE REALITY FORTHOUSANDS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDEVERY SINGLE DADOMESTIC VIOLENCE IMPACTSTHOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.AND DURING THIS PANDEMIC, WHENTENSIONS ARE HIGH, THE NUMBER OFDOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IS EVENHIGHER.<JANEAN BYRNE "Domestic Violenceis all about power and control.And right now, nobody hascontrol" 8 SEJANEAN BYRNE IS A CLINICALMENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR.
SHESAYS WITH PEOPLE STUCK IN THEIRHOMES, SOMEONE PRONE TO BEINGVIOLENT, IS EVEN MORE LIKELY,BECAUSE THEY ARE REACHING FORCONTROL.JANEAN BYRNE "anxieties arehigher, depression rates arehigher.
You know, people justare more emotional.
Our frontalcortex is Up here, we’reemotional, it shuts down sowe’re not making logicaldecisions" 11 seMIKE CHIONOPOULOS "we’re alreadyseeing the spike in domesticviolence" 3 SECATTORNEY MIKE CHIONOPOULOS SAYSDURING THIS QUARANTINE, HE’SGETTING A LOT MORE CALLS.MIKE CHIONOPOULOS "are youhearing more from people who saythey are being abused by theirpartners?" "unfortunately i athat is also with respect tochild abuse.
That’s all part ofdomestic violence.
If you cooppeople up and you already have arelationship that’s stressed,and everybody’s kind of stayingtogether for the kids and all ofthat... then you lock them inthe same house for two weeks,there’s not a good result the22 secHE SAYS AN DRAMATIC INCREASEALCOHOL SALES DURING THIS TIME,IS ONLY MAKING THE PROBLEMWORSE.MIKE CHIONOPOULOS "i’ve heard afigure as high as 58 percentincrease in alcohol sales.
Andany time we see an increase inalcohol, unfortunately we’realso going to see a spike indomestic violence thatconsistent with that spike inalcohol sales" 13 secTO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT INTOJUST HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASEWE’RE SEEING IN DOMESTICVIOLENCE IN OUR AREA, I REACHEDOUT TO CAPE CORAL POLICE.BETWEEN MARCH 8TH AND APRIL 20THOF *2019, THEY SAY RESPONDED TO289 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLSDURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN2020 -- THAT NUMBER WENT UP TO389.BYRNE SAYS, IF YOU FEEL YOURLIFE IS IN DANGER, HAVE A PLAN.JANEAN BYRNE "Always have a bagpacked with important papers,maybe in an outfit, you know,whatever you will need to atleast get you through at leastone night.
That way you calways grab that bag, whereverit is, and and you can get outof the situation" 17 sec
A woman was stabbed to death and a man is being questioned after an overnight homicide in Port St. Lucie, said police.
