Calls to The Rape Crisis Center Hotline are the pathway to most of the organization’s services. According to their statistics, calls went down during the coronavirus shutdown. Now, the phone calls are increasing.
“I think it’s definitely good that people are reaching out and getting the help,” Brittney Greenfield said. “But the it also shows all the work the we have to do as a prevention team.”
Greenfield is the Education Coordinator at the Rape Crisis Center. Communication from survivors to the center over the phone dropped during the Coronavirus shutdown especially in April. The calls which can be new sex offense survivors or returning ones dropped from February’s 463 to 375 in April.
Greenfield said the reasons for the call decrease varies but are connected to the virus: Job loss, full-time child care, personal health concerns or even working from home.
The Rape Crisis Center noticed when the shutdown was lifted the 11 percent decrease they experienced evaporated.
According to Greenfield, by the end of May calls increased by 21 percent. The numbers continued to rise in June. That work is now being done virtually and over the phone.
“Definitely emphasizes that our work in education and prevention is not over,” Greenfield said.
Texas Child Protective Services saw its Child Abuse Hotline numbers drop to a two year low between April-June.
Children have spent a prolonged time at home as the Coronavirus sent schools out of the classroom and into the home. Advocates for children said it keeps victims in a space where other may not see the signs of child abuse.
CPS Media Specialist Mary Walker said historically case numbers go up when school resumes. Walker said schools are one of the department’s biggest reporters of child abuse and neglect. An increase is likely, but no one is sure what the case growth could look like.
“We can’t predict where the numbers will go,” Walker said.