In the past, statistics have shown that around 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in Utah will experience domestic violence at some point in their life. Now, increased reports on abuse reveal that those statistics might be on the rise.

A recent article on KSL found that more incidences of domestic violence in Utah were reported in the first six months of 2023 than in the past five years during the same time period.

Nationally, this finding is even worse on college campuses where statistics show that nearly half of female students in intimate relationships experience either physical or emotional abuse from their partners before graduating.

At the University of Utah, domestic violence and sexual abuse is combatted through centers such as the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention and resources which can be found on the Domestic Violence Resources page.

Why has domestic violence risen in Utah?

Erika George is a professor of law at the U with a research focus on respecting human rights. George explains that she thinks the rise of domestic violence in Utah may have resulted from many different factors, not all of them obvious. She added various social and cultural factors, such as pressure and dramatic change, can impact a rise in domestic violence.

“One of the things Utah struggles with is a surface-level need to pretend everything is great when it really isn’t,” George said. “That cultural factor is a great hindrance in allowing victims to get away from their situation. Then, when Covid hit a few years ago, the isolation and insufficient support which stemmed from social restrictions compounded to make domestic violence much more likely.”

However, an interview with Bethany Crisp, systems director at the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said that increased reports of domestic violence aren’t necessarily a bad thing — increased reports can actually be a good sign as it means more people are coming forward about their abuse.

“When you see an increase in numbers being reported, that doesn’t always mean there’s an increase in cases taking place,” Crisp said. “It could mean there’s an increase in resources available, or that more people are aware of where they can get help.”

Crisp added that if they’re doing a good job of increasing awareness, they will see an “increase in numbers being reported, which doesn’t always reflect reality as far as what’s taking place.”

How to recognize signs of domestic violence?

The words domestic violence and sexual assault may conjure images of visual injuries on victims. However, according to George, emotional abuse is a form of domestic violence that cannot be ignored, though it may be harder to recognize.

“If someone is suddenly spending less time with you due to their partner, that may be a sign they are being abused,” George said. “Other signs may be that their center of existence is around their partner, they have increased insecurity, and they aren’t making sense.”

George also explained that domestic violence often rises during certain times of the year, such as the first semester of college for freshman students and around the holidays. She said that these times are likely to have higher reports of abuse as students are far from home, don’t know where to get help and feel overwhelmed in a new environment.

How is Utah countering?

Organizations such as UCASA, the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition (UDVC) and multiple other nonprofits are working hard to mitigate domestic violence and sexual assault as much as possible.

Crisp mentioned four ways these organizations, especially UCASA, are involved in this fight: education, awareness, response and prevention.

“We offer 40-hour trainings for people who need to become victim advocates, and we have outreach teams that go into the community and teach about sexual assault,” she said. “We also have people who focus specifically on prevention as well by working with the Utah state legislature on legislation that will ultimately help prevent sexual assault.”

For those interested in volunteering, UCASA offers a 40-hour free training to visit victims in hospitals. Or, volunteers can be trained to work with the helplines.

“The best way to counter sexual abuse is through raising awareness,” Crisp said. “It’s essential to eliminate the stigma and shame surrounding victims. All it takes is the individual effort to become educated and spread that education to others so everyone can know how to help.”

The UDVC can connect anyone experiencing domestic violence with the appropriate resources. You can call 800-897-5465.