By Vickie Skorji | Lifeline Services Director
Dear Friend,
Many people in Japan and around the world are victims of abuse at the hands of their intimate partners. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic, with its lockdowns, has increased the stressors people face, increasing intimate-partner violence and child abuse. In Japan, the total number of consultations on domestic violence in 2020 reached 132,355, the highest number ever.
According to police records, 2,172 youths were subjected to abuse last year, with 106,991 cases of suspected abuse reported to the child guidance centers. This figure surpassed 100,000 for the first time since records began in 2004, up 8,769 from the previous year. The period of March-May, when many schools were closed, saw the most significant increase in reports to welfare centers. Additionally, 295 sexual abuse cases were reported to the child consultation centers, the highest on record and up 11.7% from last year. Other organizations received 518 requests for pregnancy support from youths under 18 during March-May stating unwanted sexual intercourse as the reason for termination and support. About 50 children, roughly one per week, die from abuse each year.
Recent figures show an alarming increase in suicides among women in Japan. This May, 603 women took their own lives, up 21% from the same month last year. The year-on-year figure has now risen for 12 consecutive months, a troubling trend that reflects the economic despair wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
The TELL team continues working hard every day to ensure the Lifeline is up and running and share needed resources with the community. This year, our Outreach team has delivered a range of workshops to the community about building healthy relationships, exploring sex education and healthy discussions with parents, and supporting survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence in Japan. Additionally, 29 new volunteers were accepted into the Lifeline Support worker training program in October, and we increased our volunteer numbers from 110 last year to over 130. This has allowed us to offer around 20 additional shifts per month since August and have more than one support worker on many of the shifts.
As we head towards the end of the year, the holidays, especially ones with many relationships strained and fragile from the last two years of COVID, will be a challenge for many women and children. While we all feel the optimism that the coming year brings, our mission is to be there, NOW, for every individual who needs someone to listen, someone to care. We ask for your continued support as we work to bring the Lifeline and Chat to all those in abusive relationships who need it now more than ever. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to the mission and vision of TELL and for being a part of making this project a success.
Many thanks for your support,
Vickie Skorji
Lifeline Services Director
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