A year has passed since the violence prevention line — 22045225 — created by the Ministry of Welfare and the Skalbes Crisis Consultation Center started operating in Latvia. This support line is for people who notice aggressive thoughts, have difficulty controlling anger, or fear that a conflict may escalate into violence. According to Skalbes, 280 anonymous consultations were conducted over the year.
The average duration of a consultation is almost 25 minutes. During this time, a person can name what is happening with the specialist, realize the risks of violent behavior, and receive professional support in finding initial solutions.
What Is the Profile of Callers?
Data from the first year of operation show that most often, men call the violence prevention line:
In 210 cases, men called, while in 70 cases, women did.
The content of the consultations shows that a significant portion of callers begin to recognize the risk of violent behavior themselves and seek ways to prevent it. At the same time, in 24 cases, calls were received from people who had suffered from violence.
If You Feel Inclined to Violence
► An anonymous crisis hotline that you can call before thoughts turn into violence: 22045225
Operating hours: on weekdays from 06:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 00:00, on weekends and holidays 24/7
Unexpressed anger and tension can escalate into actions that cause pain. A conversation can be the first step to breaking this cycle — even before thoughts turn into violence.
The risk of violence most often affects people in close relationships or shared households:
In 30 cases, the victim was identified as a spouse, and in 41 cases, as another female relative or a woman living in the same household.
