Domestic violence affects 37 percent of women in Utah, according to a Dan Jones report commissioned by the Utah Domestic Violence Council and the governor's office. It also is the number one form of reported child abuse and the top reason why children are taken from homes, said Pettingill, citing statistics from the Division of Children and Family Services.

The situation is somewhat different in Davis County at the Safe Harbor shelter, which is operated by the Davis Citizens' Coalition Against Violence.

Currently, there are 17 families there, according to shelter manager Molly Prentice. The shelter can handle 31 families, again not counting youngsters under age 2.

There are no studies documenting why the numbers would be lower now, but Prentice suggests there may be several reasons.

"I think it's just the holiday season: not wanting to be away from family, wanting to give people another chance, not wanting to be in a shelter over Christmas with their kids."

Safe Harbor also tries to make this time of year happier for its residents. The shelter pairs families there with others in the community who "adopt" them in an arrangement much like Sub for Santa. If someone checks in closer to Christmas, the shelter uses its own resources to provide gifts, toys and clothes.

Prentice expects the number of people seeking shelter to increase around February or March.

Among other things, Safe Harbor offers advice on safety plans for women in abusive relationships, which are preparations for getting out of the house fast.

"If you are home, have a plan of where you're going to go if you have to leave quickly, whether it's staying with a friend, family or in a shelter. Have a bag packed with important items like a change of clothes, a couple of days' worth of prescriptions, copies of birth certificates and Social Security cards, extra money, extra car keys and a cell phone," she said.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com