DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Each year, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) analyzes domestic violence statistics throughout the state.
In 2024, 137 people died from domestic violence incidents. That is a 14% increase from 2023 and a 140% increase since 2022.
This jump is a big concern for ICADV and other organizations fighting to reduce the impact of domestic violence statewide.
"At any point about one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and we actually think it's higher than that because a lot of people don't report," said ICADV CEO Carrie Boyd.
"We're going to continue to see the impact of DV. We need our communities to understand and embrace survivors and really work together to get these resources offered to them," Boyd continued.
One of the organizations offering this support for survivors is Dove Inc. in Decatur. They provide emergency housing for those facing domestic violence as well as continuing domestic violence care, and have also seen domestic violence concerns increase in the areas they serve.
"In the past year alone, we've had 620 participants and we've had over 180 orders of protection that we had helped fill out," said Dove Marketing and Communications Coordinator Ryan Huff. "That's in the past year alone here in Decatur. These situations aren't going away and quite frankly, as we get into colder months, we tend to see higher numbers. "
Huff said they are doing all they can to help survivors, but have to work with a limited budget and facility.
ICADV is hoping Karina's Law, which took effect on May 11, will cut down on domestic violence deaths.
"With Karina's law and with this expansion of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act to include the ability to remove weapons within 96 hours of the issuance of an order of protection, we're really hoping to see those guns removed from the hands of abusers who would otherwise cause harm or death to our survivors," Boyd said.
There are organizations across Illinois that provide assistance for domestic violence survivors.
For a list of Illinois organizations, go here. The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline is 877-863-6338.
To learn more about ICADV, click here, and additional information about Dove and how to donate to support their work is online.
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