Calls to abuse hot lines and shelters are up

Article

FORT WORTH -- Calls to SafeHaven of Tarrant County, where people seek refuge from dangerous relationships, increased 117 percent from 2007 to 2009.

"We've had some instances of the abuser finding out that his victim is seeking our services and passed on veiled threats to our staff," President Mary Lee Hafley said

The economy cannot explain all the increase, nor can it explain the ferocity of attacks some women are experiencing, Hafley said. Finances and stress are compounding factors in abusive relationships and may shorten the cycle of domestic violence but don't fully account for the escalation.

This is pretty worrying from the looks of it. Even though the article says the economy cannot explain all the increases and ferocity, I do believe the economy plays a big part in recent abuse because of tight money and stress. This article is just from Ft. Worth but I wonder how other cities are doing.