ORANGE, Fla. — Organizations like Harbor House and its 24-hour crisis Hotline and local shelters work tirelessly to provide resources, crisis interventions and safe planning for those at risk.
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Recent reports highlight a disturbing surge in domestic violence cases across Central Florida, with a tragic increase in women losing their lives at the hands of their spouses.
“Domestic violence, with it being power and control. It’s really about one person wanting to exert their control over another,” said Michelle Sperzel, CEO of Harbor House.
Sperzel said domestic abuse comes in many shapes and forms, from financial abuse to emotional abuse and psychological abuse. Still, most people are more familiar with the physical aspect of abuse.
Sperzel said Harbor House advocates see victims seeking help every day. However, more noticeable cases tend to spike around the holidays, when there is heightened financial stress, relationship strain, and isolation.
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Sperzel said leaving a violent relationship can be complicated, but a key to leaving sooner than later is watching for warning signs.
“If someone is saying to you, this is what I’m seeing and I’m scared for you, is a queue that someone should listen. A second one is, you should never be scared of the person that you are in the relationship with,” said Sperzel.
Habor House is one of many organizations in Central Florida that helps with domestic violence. They offer a 24-hour crisis hotline.
The Orlando Police Department has the only Domestic Violence Response Team(DVRT) in Central Florida.
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The team consists of officers in first responder roles who assist other officers assigned to these calls and share advanced techniques in identifying primary aggressors and recognizing safety issues for the victims.
“We need to do that as far as language. We need to do that with laws.
There’s many things that need to happen for us to hold abusers accountable. It’s not just the court system, not just law enforcement,” said Sperzel.
If you need help leaving a dangerous relationship, call the Harbor House’s statewide hotline at 1-800-500-1119 or go to https://www.harborhousefl.com/.
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