As the coronavirus public health crisis becomes more disruptive, survivors of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence are at greater risk for re-assault — and even homicide. Advocates are bracing for an influx of critical cases as closures confine families to their homes.

“Domestic violence is very much centered in power and control dynamics, and when there’s no opportunity for space and stressors are increased, situations become volatile very quickly,” said Natalia Otero, executive director of DC SAFE, a 24-hour crisis intervention organization in the District.

Last year alone, DC SAFE served 8,899 survivors. Otero said DC SAFE received around 13,000 referral calls from city services like the Metropolitan Police Department, emergency rooms and court systems in 2019. Otero expects to see many more as a result of prolonged quarantine.

[Read the latest updates about coronavirus in our region here]

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that callers said their abusers are using the crisis as a tool to further isolate them from friends and family. And it’s not just a problem Americans are facing — advocates in China have already reported an increase in domestic violence calls to local police stations as the coronavirus spread throughout the country. One station had triple the reports in February, compared with the same time last year.

Because D.C. is functioning in crisis mode, the resources that are still available are even more important. Otero said it’s important for families to remember that first-responders are still working, and they are the best first-line defense.

“Police refer victims to our response line and we can move to put an emergency temporary protection order in place,” Otero said.

If it’s a high-risk case, there are still mechanisms to coordinate services. DC SAFE shelters are still operating, and the clerk’s offices are staying open to accommodate emergency protection orders and changes to custody agreements.

“I would consider that all survivors who are living with abuse are at heightened risk right now,” Otero said.

The District of Columbia partnered with DC Safe in 2009 after a series of domestic violence homicides. With Johns Hopkins University, they created the Lethality Assessment Project (LAP) to assess survivors for their risk of re-assault by an intimate partner.

Otero said some risk factors make survivors of previous abuse up to 10 times more likely to be revictimized. If there’s a child in the home that isn’t biologically related to an abuser, both the child and other parent are at risk for domestic violence.

DC SAFE dispatched 338 in-person advocates on a 24-hour basis last year and is continuing discussions on how to provide advocacy and screening remotely.

“We need to cast the widest net possible to find survivors who are at the highest risk for reassault or homicide,” Otero said.

According to Otero, it’s important to look for warning signs in the behavior of abusers in the home. Some patterns of conduct include denying access to bank accounts, coercion or emotional abuse like frequent put-downs.

“We tend to write this behavior off in the best of times, letting partners off the hook for maybe having a tough day,” Otero said. “But when these things are present under this kind of pressure, things can escalate as the abuser loses control.”

Other risk factors in the Lethality Assessment Project include access to a firearm in the home, history of sexual abuse, threats of suicide by the abuser and substance abuse.

Advocacy organizations across the city are applauding D.C.’s passage of the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020. The D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence said in a statement that the expansion of unemployment insurance, extension of public benefits and inclusion of tenant protections will be critical for all District residents, including survivors of domestic violence.

Guns and America’s Alana Wise reported nationwide efforts to strengthen protections for victims of intimate partner violence, including legislation that would limit abusers’ access to guns.

The Maryland Network for Domestic Violence has listed a number of support resources in response to COVID-19 on their website. In northern Virginia, survivors can find support through county government from organizations like the Domestic Violence Action Center in Fairfax.

Survivors with immediate needs in the District may contact the DC Victim Hotline. To reach the hotline, dial or text 1-844-4HELPDC (1-844-443-5732) or access the online chat at www.DCvictim.org/chat. For additional updates on domestic violence services, visit http://bit.ly/DVcovid19.

This story first appeared on WAMU.