UES Board To Tackle Rise In Domestic Violence During Pandemic

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An Upper East Side community board is hosting a special meeting this week devoted to one of the pandemic's most troubling trends: the reported rise in domestic violence.

Numerous sources reported alarming spikes in domestic abuse over the past year, based in part on increased demand at anti-violence organizations. Possible causes included state-ordered lockdowns, which essentially trapped survivors with their abusers, as well as lost work and widespread mental health challenges.

On Tuesday, Community Board 8's women and families committee will host a meeting devoted to the citywide trend, aiming to explore its causes and discuss whether it will continue.

Participants and speakers will include:

• Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright
• Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Pamela Blandino
• Karen Benjamin-Hamlet, supervisor of the victim assistance center at the Manhattan DA's office
• Rachel Teicher, director of intimate partner violence intervention at the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Sgt. Sumay Lee of the NYPD 19th Precinct

The meeting will begin 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, held over Zoom. Members of the public can register here.