DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) – You may have heard it before– that Super Bowl weekend brings with it an uptick in domestic violence. While some experts say that claim is a myth, they also say it’s a good time to spread awareness of a growing issue in our community.
“We’re seeing more and more lethal or highly dangerous cases every year,” Susan Gottschalk, Family Violence Collaborative director.
The Artemis Center in downtown Dayton connects survivors and their children to resources that help them escape domestic violence.
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“Anyone who comes to our teams will meet with a victim advocate, talk about whatever it is if they want to share with us,” Gottschalk said. “We have support groups. We have a pantry to help survivors get through if they don’t have food. We want to be sure that they don’t go back to their batter.”
Last year, Artemis Center helped around 2,000 survivors — the majority of their clients served have children.
“The most vulnerable age for a survivor to be in a domestic violence relationship is from age 16 to 24,” Gottschalk said.