Stress Increases Domestic Violence Across Gulf States
While optimism tarries forth during the progress of hurricane recovery on the ravaged lands of the Gulf Coast, emotional recovery among the Katrina survivors is lingering slowly behind.
While optimism tarries forth during the progress of hurricane recovery on the ravaged lands of the Gulf Coast, emotional recovery among the Katrina survivors is lingering slowly behind.
Behind the rebuilding of homes and debris removal, calls are flooding into domestic violence centers throughout the affected states nearly five months after the storm made landfall. Counselors believe stress is the cause of increased violence.
"Stress of this magnitude, and lasting this long a period of time, is incredibly hard to deal with," said Vikki Peay, program director of the Counselors at the Capital Area Family Violence, according to the United Methodist News Service. "And so people don't have healthy ways to cope with it."
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Peay, speaking from experience as a crisis counselor after Hurricane Lilli struck New Orleans in 2002, predicts an even larger number of calls in the next coming months.
"Although it has been limited research, we do know that after Hurricane Andrew went through Miami, they had a 50 percent increase in the number of calls and the services that were needed in that area of domestic violence," she said.
According to National Organization for Women, two to four million women of all races and classes are assaulted by intimates each year. Peay estimates that one in three women in the U.S. will become victims of domestic violence.
Women have all reported the increase in domestic violence after Katrina.
After asking if the situation of domestic violence has gotten worse after Katrina, Mary Claire Landry, president of the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, reported to the United Methodist News Service that all of the women said, "Absolutely, it's gotten more stressful and more violent."
The Federal Management Agency (FEMA) reached out to more than 10,000 individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina through its Crisis Counseling Program. Working in partnership with various agencies, the assistance centers are offering counseling services 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-971-7401.
Churches have also taken on a major role in providing emotional care to the storm victims. With churches committed to the rebuilding of the battered states, their help has gone hand in hand with compassion and spiritual counseling for those dealing with the losses and devastation.
