TAMPA, Fla. — A new study from the Institute for Global Health found that domestic violence rates increase after natural disasters.
According to local organizations, the trend underscores the urgent need for support and resources for survivors.
Two nonprofit groups, The Spring of Tampa Bay and Casa Pinellas, are part of a network of 41 certified domestic violence centers in the state of Florida that offer these resources, including providing safe shelter during storms.
Mindy Murphy, CEO of The Spring, noted that disasters sometimes create opportunities for abusers to continue harmful behavior.
“Historically, in the past in the United States, there have been instances where abusers during a storm have gone hopping from shelter to shelter looking for their victim and in some cases, the victim has been killed,” said Murphy.
Casa Pinellas CEO Lariana Forsythe, a survivor herself, explained that survivors often face complex barrier when trying to leave abusive situations.
“There’s lots of ties,” said Forsythe. “There’s financial ties, there’s children, there’s families, there’s all sorts of compounding issues that make it very difficult.”
The study highlights that domestic violence often intensifies after a disaster, as stressful situations can expose and amplify underlying abuse.
“What happens is that domestic violence is unmasked by hurricanes and other disasters,” said Murphy. “Things don’t just happen where there’s a hurricane and all of a sudden somebody becomes an abuser.”
The challenges of a disaster also extend to providers.
When Tampa was preparing for Hurricane Milton, several power shut downs were done, including at the courthouse, which would have limited access to protective orders.
“The court administration reached out and said, how do we process injunctions at this time? And we problem-solved together to come up with a fail-safe system,” said Murphy. “So that if a survivor needed an injunction during the hurricane, there would be a judge available, we would be available, and we would have a transmittal process even if there was no power.”
Both Murphy and Forsythe emphasize the importance of having a safety plan.
“There’s lots of other ancillary services that somebody who may not need shelter can have access to,” said Forsythe.
“If you are thinking about leaving; work with your certified domestic violence center,” said Murphy. “Talk it through, safety plan with us. That is what we are experts at.”
Both organizations also continue to seek support and resources to better serve their clients, especially in the wake of recent storms.
To learn more or assist, visit The Spring of Tampa Bay and Casa Pinellas websites.