The Raleigh Police Department reports a spike in domestic violence calls for service and cases this year.
Victim advocate Ed Dudley, a co-founder of Shining Light In Darkness (SLID), suggests that more people are comfortable reaching out to police about family violence. However, just because more people are coming forward, Dudley said it does not mean it’s become any easier to make that call.
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Staff at the Durham-based nonprofit pride themselves on serving victims and survivors who are often overlooked.
"We've seen probably about a 30% increase in survivors coming to us," Dudley said. "Anyone who comes to us needing help, we work with everyone, but we narrow down to a subset that we work with."
This subset focuses on men, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, veterans, and their largest population — women of color.
There are many more local organizations and resources available to help victims experiencing family violence, including minorities.
Raleigh-based Kiran specializes in resources for South Asian victims fighting domestic violence.
One of their clients, Ramya Sribommiseddy, says all kinds of abuse in her relationship began soon after she immigrated to the US.
“Even when I’m emotionally down, they push me, meaning they give me some strength,” Sribommiseddy said.
“He chose my clothes for me, and I'm not supposed to tell his friends or anybody that he chose it," she said. “I should say I love it, and this is my selection.”
According to the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, some victims stay in abusive relationships because they lack resources, still have love for their partner, or fear losing their children.
For Sribommiseddy, however, she insists her ten-year-old daughter is her reason for never going back.
“I love her to the core,” she says, “she’s my everything.”
New numbers from a prominent North Carolina non-profit reveal a dozen domestic violence homicides and a suicide in the state this year.
These numbers are on track to match record figures reported since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state’s domestic violence homicide rates are currently on track with how they were this time last year, according to a list collected by NCCADV.
These numbers are on trend with the noticeable rise of domestic violence since the start of COVID in 2020.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE). For county-by-county help, the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a list of resources at nccadv.org.
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Jada White is a recent graduate of Howard University and a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She is known for her poise, curiosity, and commitment to clear, engaging storytelling. Her long-term goal is to become a network-level correspondent and anchor, bringing thoughtful, trustworthy reporting to audiences across the country.