Why It Takes 26 Incidents of Domestic Violence Before Someone Reports and How Employers Can Help
It’s one of the most confronting statistics in the psychosocial risk space:
It takes someone experiencing domestic violence an average of 26 incidents before they report it.
Let that sink in.
Not 2 or 3. Twenty-six.
That number became the anchor point for the creation of Safety Assist - a 24/7, anonymous, employer-funded emergency response program backed by insurance. Because the question isn’t why people wait.
It’s what’s stopping them.
Why It Takes 26 Times
When someone is facing a serious psychosocial crisis like domestic violence, stalking, or abuse, they’re not just managing fear.
They’re trying to answer impossible questions:
Where will I go?
What will happen to the kids?
Who will look after my dog?
Will I be safe if I leave?
What happens next — legally, practically, financially?
They’re weighing all of that before even picking up the phone.
This is why Safety Assist exists - to remove the friction, decision paralysis, and isolation that stops people from acting.
A Framework Built for the Real World
The Safety Assist framework was designed around every single barrier we heard:
Emergency accommodation — for when there’s no safe place to go
Child and pet care — because people won’t leave unless their family is safe, including the four-legged kind
Cyber security — because digital threats and surveillance are now a major part of abuse
Legal navigation and police liaison — handled by highly experienced, trusted professionals who understand trauma-informed response
Anonymous hotline — giving people the power to reach out quietly, when and how they can
Whether it’s the individual calling directly, or a manager noticing that an employee is suddenly absent, our system activates instantly. No waiting for approval. No red tape. Just structured, expert-led support, backed by insurance.
The Role of Employers in Psychosocial Crisis Response
Domestic violence doesn’t stay at home.
It spills into workplaces in the form of absenteeism, distraction, emotional distress, stalking, threats, and sometimes, tragedy.
Businesses are increasingly expected (and in many cases required under WHS laws) to respond meaningfully. But they’re also afraid of getting it wrong.
Safety Assist gives businesses a scalable, compliant, and deeply human way to step in early and protect their people and their liability.
One Call Can Change Everything
We built Safety Assist so that nobody facing a serious personal crisis has to answer twenty-six unanswerable questions before getting help.
They only need to make one call.