In these dark economic times, many Americans are worried about their future. Both blue collar and white collar individuals are concerned with the growing unemployment rate in the United States. But amidst all the economic forecasts in the nightly news, the human cost to the current economic climate often goes unnoticed. As the economy continues its’ downward spiral, incidents of domestic violence all across the country are on the rise. There has been a significant increase in the volume of domestic violence hotline calls, and the average stay in a domestic violence shelter has gotten longer. Therefore, many shelters are packed to the brim, and are forced to turn away women in need. This alarming trend has not been given a lot of attention in the national media, but it is a severe problem nonetheless, and it needs to be treated as such.
So what causes the inverse relationship between domestic violence and a strained economy? Part of the increase in domestic violence can be attributed to the additional stress that often accompanies unemployment and declining incomes. If things are already strained at home, and one parent loses his or her job, the tension in the household can reach critical mass, and instances of domestic violence can become more frequent.
Sometimes, in an economic downturn, women can feel like they are trapped in an abusive relationship. Because of the lack of job opportunities, some women feel that if they were to leave their spouse, they would be unable to support themselves financially. They therefore decide to stay in abusive relationships where domestic violence is common, and thus, the problem of domestic violence is left to fester, and never gets solved. Many abusers in these types of relationships try to suppress their spouses, and keep them enslaved economically. This is achieved by seizing paychecks, denying access to communal bank accounts, and basically strong-arming the other party into submission.