As the economy gets worse, reports of domestic violence are on the rise.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline, headquartered in Austin, reports that calls are soaring. Calls were up 14 percent in the third quarter of last year compared to the year before and were up 8 percent during the fourth quarter.
More than half of the callers said they had a recent change in their household financial situation.
Jan Langbein, executive director of Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas, said there is more pressure on already tense households during tough economic times. She said women frequently stay in abusive relationships because they're afraid they won't be able to find a job.
Several local agencies offer victims of domestic violence counseling and a place to stay:
- Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas has a 24-hour hotline at 214-946-HELP.
- The 24-hour Crisis Line for Safe Haven of Tarrant County is 877-701-SAFE.
