Kathrine Alderman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
With the outbreak of COVID-19, everyone had to stay cooped up at home with their families. Even now, with no stay at home orders and things opening back up, many people choose to stay home more for safety reasons. Some have to stay home as they now work from home or maybe even lost their job. Whatever the reason, people are having to stay home significantly more than they used to. For some, this may be nice, but for victims of domestic violence, it keeps them in the environment where they are tormented. Used to, they might escape and do things outside of the house, but due to COVID-19, many cannot escape or even seek help.
Thankfully, a sign has been developed to let people in video calls know you are in distress. Because of the increase in video calls and conferences, there is still a way for victims of domestic violence to seek help. You may not be able to say it if your abuser is home or in the background, but you can show it with this sign that has been developed. It is crucial for people to recognize it so that victims of abuse can know it exists and so that those they are asking for help know they are being asked for help.
The sign is relatively simple. First, you hold your palm up to the camera, with your thumb tucked in—kind of like you're showing someone the number four—after that, you simply close your hand and trap your thumb—like you're making a fist, but with the thumb inside your hand.
It can be hard to ask for help when in a terrible situation, and sometimes it's hard to know where to ask. So spreading the knowledge of these signs can not only help victims of domestic violence but can help others stay informed, so they know when someone is asking for help.
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