NO MORE / National Domestic Violence Hotline: She's Been Isolated and Living in Fear for Years

As more cities go on lock down to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the NO MORE Foundation and the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) have teamed up on a new public awareness and action campaign to respond to a challenging byproduct of isolating at home: victims of domestic violence are increasingly trapped with their abusers. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Reports from China suggest the coronavirus caused a significant spike in domestic violence there and national and local domestic violence hotlines in the US and UK expect huge increases in calls as cities and states need to take more drastic measures to quarantine. The Hotline is hearing from survivors how Covid-19 is already being used by abusive partners to further control and abuse. Like with Covid-19, the signs of domestic abuse are not always visible. However, now that people are spending almost 24/7 at home, they might hear more coming from their neighbours’ homes than usual. Entitled #Listeningfromhome and created in London by MRM/McCann, the campaign aims to heighten people’s awareness of the problem, learn to recognise the signs and encourage them to safely get help if they do hear or observe incidents of domestic abuse. The Hotline is on the front lines of supporting survivors. The Hotline's entire team, more than 150 people, began working remotely in mid-March so that they can continue to provide critical, life-saving services for hundreds of thousands of survivors — no matter what happens. Thus, the campaign also asks people who can to make a donation to help support the Hotline’s response efforts.