By Kayla Woody, CPN House of Hope Prevention Specialist

As we enter the summer months, families are packing up for vacation, kids are finally escaping class and the weather is sure to change. But along with the rise in temps comes a rise in domestic violence cases for shelter advocates and hotlines.

Yes, you read that correctly. Summertime is not always fun and carefree for everyone.
According to a survey prepared by the U.S. Department of Justice “Seasonal Patterns in Criminal Victimization Trends,” intimate partner violence increases by 12% in the summer months versus other seasons.

Some factors that come into play are:

  • Increased stresses due to summer break for children
  • Increased temperatures
  • Lack of activities and increased idle time for teens
  • Increase in alcohol and drug intake

While these factors do seem to increase abuse, they are certainly not the cause of domestic violence and are not to blame. In other words, intoxication doesn’t cause abuse and sobriety doesn’t stop it.

Iowa State University Professor Craig Anderson compares data about hot and not-as-hot states in his paper titled “Heat and Violence.” He proposes a “heat hypothesis” that says hot temps can increase aggression by directly increasing feelings of hostility and indirectly increasing aggressive thoughts.

A major group that is affected by domestic violence during the summer is teens. With an increase in parties, drinking and idle time, teen dating violence becomes a horrible outcome for most. The Department of Justice also states those women, ages 16 to 24, are at the highest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence. Teen dating violence is any form of abuse that takes place in a relationship including physical, sexual, mental or emotional abuse. These types of abuse can have serious effects on future relationships for developing teens.

For parents with teens, here are some tips on how to reduce the probability of your teen experiencing dating abuse:

  • Monitor social media sites
  • Communicate healthy relationships with your teen often
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions and have an open dialogue with your teen

If communication with your teen is difficult there are always great resources to help. A list of popular books to offer your kiddos during their downtime may include, In Love and In Danger: A Teen’s Guide to Breaking Free of Abusive Relationships by Barrie Levy, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, or even Breathing Underwater by Alex Finn.

With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men finding themselves in domestic violence relationships, you or someone you care about may be one of these victims. In this case, there are steps to take that can remove you or that person from the situation into a safe environment. Many safety planning checklists instruct a person to do the following:

  • Find a safe place to stay, which can include family, friends or a local shelter
  • Pack a bag and hide in a safe place
  • Call a local domestic violence hotline for assistance
  • Keep important documents in a safe location
  • Practice how to get out of a room or home safely
  • Change or open new accounts
  • Change locks

Even though you do not have control over your partner’s violence, you do have a choice about how to respond and how to best escape an unsafe situation.

If you are experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual assault or stalking and have questions, please contact House of Hope’s crisis line at 405-878-4673 or visit us online at facebook.com/cpnhouseofhope.