Hairdressers on front line for spotting domestic dispute

QUINCY, Ill. — A first-of-its-kind law is putting hair dressers on the lookout for signs of domestic violence.

Illinois is the first state to pass a law that requires stylists to be aware of signs of abuse or violence, WGEM reported. It can be either physical violence or certain words a client uses that they talk about during a session in the styling chair.

One salon owner said that clients talk when they're at the shop and it makes it easy for stylists to listen or watch for certain clues that others may overlook.

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"A lot of our customers become friends of their hairdressers," Joyce Kruse told WGEM. "They've been with them for 20 years and longer. When you get that close to someone on a regular basis, you want to confide in them. They'll tell their hairdressers more than they'll tell their doctors sometimes."

The law will go into effect Jan. 1. Hairdressers must take a domestic abuse and violence class every two years when they renew their license. The law will only requires stylists to be able to recognize abuse when they see the signs. It does not require them to report it.

Cox Media Group