SALT LAKE CITY — A 2023 Utah State University study found that one in three Utah women will experience some form of domestic violence, including sexual or physical violence, or stalking.
“It’s just so close to home right now, that it’s happening all the time,” said domestic violence survivor Teresa Thomas.
Thomas knows it takes more than words of encouragement to get away.
"When I felt the need to leave, it was just a whole body... just, I need better," said Thomas. "Because the abusers, they know how to get to you."
Thomas explained how she wants those who are experiencing abuse to seek help as soon as the signs start.
"Even if it’s ... one time, just go," she urged. If not, she added, "it’s going to continue to happen to either you, or to somebody else because they did not get the consequences of their actions."
Utah's Department of Public Safety hopes a new online tool can help make a difference.
In 2023, the state required law enforcement to conduct a lethality assessment when responding to calls for domestic violence. The data from those assessments is now going into an online dashboard, showing trends in Utah.
“It gives them a tool to connect them with service providers, which is an important is an important part to that process, since the implementation of that bill, 23,000 L.A.P.S have been conducted, 60% of show a high probability for not just violence, potentially lethal violence between those partners,” said Commissioner Beau Mason of the Department of Public Safety.
The dashboard will also connect officers with background information within 15 minutes, and connect victims with resources on scene.
Thomas is also encouraging people who are experiencing domestic violence to reach out to their local resources and law enforcement as soon as possible.
"Don’t be afraid to report them," she said. "You have to report them and you have to stick to your guns."