Getting a handle on domestic violence statistics

CORA — the only nonprofit in San Mateo County dedicated solely to intimate partner abuse — saw 10,257 hotline calls last year, including referrals from law enforcement. That number is by far the highest in recent years: from 2020 to 2023, hotline calls wavered near the 8,000s. 

“I think that’s a good thing,” Ferguson said. “Just because the number increases doesn't mean there's more domestic violence. It may mean that more people are able and have the knowledge to reach out and get help.” 

While it might feel counterintuitive at first, an increase in reports of domestic violence can potentially mean more victims are getting help at an earlier stage in the abuse cycle, Ferguson said. 

That can, in turn, stop domestic violence before it turns fatal. In San Mateo County in 2024, those fatal instances tragically continue: six homicides in three households were domestic-violence related. In 2023, five homicides in five separate households were domestic-violence related. 

When it comes to domestic violence fatalities of this kind, one overarching statistic stands out to Eliza Kuhl, Victim Services program manager at the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

“With almost no exception, friends, family and co-workers knew something was going on in all of those fatalities, in all of the fatalities from years before,” she said. “I think that what feels critical to me is public awareness of the services that are available, of what healthy relationships look like. I think we still have work to do there.” 

Like Ferguson, Kuhl emphasized the under-reported nature of domestic violence incidents. When cases of domestic violence finally make it to law enforcement, survivors will often report that they’ve been enduring abuse for years, she said. 

“I know for a fact that the number of incidents is only a tiny fraction of what's actually happening in our community,” Kuhl said. 

San Mateo County Supervisor Noelia Corzo is a longtime advocate for survivors of domestic violence and chair of the county’s Domestic Violence Council. She, too, acknowledged that domestic violence data in the county is often incomprehensive, spread between different agencies and nonprofits and measured differently. That’s something the DVC aims to work on, Corzo said. 

“There is data that exists, but everyone handles it differently, and so one of our goals is to really hone in on that and make sure that we have all the data in the same place,” she said. 

Domestic violence crimes made up 3% of filed DA’s Office cases in 2024 and 4% of filed cases in 2023. But those victims made up around 30% of those the Victims Services program served last year, Kuhl said, a statistic that has remained fairly static throughout the years. 

In the past year alone, police departments referred 2,033 cases involving domestic violence — defined as nonconsensual touching or acts of violence within a relationship — to the San Mateo County DA’s Office. The DA’s Office elected to file criminal charges for 464 of those cases, or roughly 23%. 

That’s more than a 10% filing decrease from the year prior. In 2023, county police departments referred 1,932 cases and the DA’s Office filed criminal That decrease in charges filed has been a broad trend across the DA’s Office for 2024, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Because the change is statistically notable and cannot be attributed to distinct policy or legislative actions, it’ll be something his office reviews.

“That’s a big difference. While it does fluctuate from year to year, that's a big fluctuation. We’re going to have to see what sort of cases are being rejected,” he said. “I'm not fully sure what caused that — we are going to explore it.”

New approach

But San Mateo County is working on a new approach to support those survivors of domestic violence. The Domestic Violence High-Risk Case Multidisciplinary Team was approved by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in October 2024 with a goal of streamlining services, especially for those in particularly high-risk situations, Kuhl said. 

She was tapped to lead the new team, which will meet for the first time in the next few weeks. It aims to coordinate the work of nonprofits like CORA — which can assist survivors with housing and mental health support — rape trauma services and legal partners like Bay Area Legal Aid alongside law enforcement agencies and the DA’s Office. 

“There are cases that all of us on this team come across that strike us specifically as especially dangerous or especially concerning, and there currently isn't a mechanism to do a full coordination of services,” she said. 

As a survivor-centered organization, consent of the victim will be required to move forward with service provision and the victim’s own goals will remain at the forefront throughout, Kuhl said. 

For example, an immigrant with a language barrier that creates particular vulnerabilities and difficulty navigating the county’s web of services could benefit from streamlined case services, Corzo said. She co-sponsored the Board of Supervisors’ resolution to form the new team. 

Another situation that could expedite a domestic violence case and prompt coordinated early intervention services is reports of a victim being strangled or choked. 

“By itself, the act of strangulation is a very high risk and a big red flag, so that alone could get someone expedited,” Corzo said. 

Another serious red flag when it comes to domestic violence is access to a weapon, especially a firearm, Ferguson said, which can increase the risk of fatality up to 700%. She’s hopeful that the new team can not only identify these risk factors more quickly, but also connect people to the services they need to remove themselves from abusive situations. 

Financial help

That includes economic and child care factors — which the county recently aimed to address with a new program offering $1,000 a month to survivors of domestic violence with children — as well as legal and transportation needs.

“People end up staying in abusive situations because they can't quite imagine how they would get out,” she said. “The more somebody knows about how they can access and receive those resources, the more they're able to begin to imagine stepping out of the situation.” 

The county is working on other survivor-centered resources, as well, Corzo said, including envisioning a Family Justice Center that would serve as a physical one-stop shop for survivors of domestic violence to get resources they need. 

It could also help alleviate language barriers, cultural barriers and shorten the time-consuming and draining process of wading through the county’s intertwined network of services. 

“Let's say a survivor has to take a day off from work, or has to find child care, and they try to get a restraining order, and they drive to one place, and all they can do is pick up a packet. Then they have to try to go to the court to file it, and then they have to try to get mental health support,” Corzo said. “All of that can be really time intensive and really hard.” 

Support of loved ones

As the county works to put more efficient systems in place to address domestic violence, Kuhl emphasized that loved ones, friends, family and co-workers can have a role to play in supporting individuals in abusive relationships and connecting them with the resources they need to leave. 

“If you are worried about your loved ones, you should tell them that you're worried,” she said. “You should ask them what they need in a non-judgmental manner.” 

Other red flags in relationships can look like controlling a partner’s social network, obsessing over where they are, surveilling them and volatility in expressing emotions. 

If you or a loved one needs help, call CORA’s 24/7 support line: (800) 300-1080