Domestic violence amid COVID‐19

Short abstract

This manuscript highlights the risk that shelter‐in‐place instructions during COVID‐19 places on victims of domestic violence and serves as a call‐to‐action to address this crisis.

In the midst of the COVID‐19 pandemic, “stay at home” has become the mantra of governments and public health organizations alike. But for victims of domestic violence, home is often not a place of safety. Staying at home not only places survivors of domestic violence at risk for further violence, but also isolates them from networks of support. Containment policies may lead to higher rates of domestic violence, substance abuse, anxiety, major depression, suicide, and other manifestations of unmet mental health needs. Job losses and financial insecurity may tip at‐risk relationships into violence.

The United States National Domestic Violence Hotline recently reported that many callers have indicated that their abusers are capitalizing on precautions related to COVID‐19 to further restrict their access to support networks. ¹ Although there is a lack of data on domestic violence in relation to the pandemic response, research on domestic violence during times of natural disaster provides some insight. After Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992, the Unites States Center for Disease Control found that “one third of 1400 surveyed residents reported someone in their home had lost verbal or physical control in the two months since the hurricane”. ² More recently, a qualitative study of 30 Australian women aged 20–60 years found that domestic violence increased after a 2009 bushfire despite no increase in formal reporting. ³

Since local crises increase the prevalence of interpersonal violence in affected communities, it is likely the COVID‐19 pandemic is exposing countless individuals to circumstances with high risk for violence. Worldwide, one in three women experience either intimate partner violence or non‐partner sexual violence within their lifetimes. ⁴ The United Nations and WHO recognize violence against women as a major public health burden as victims may suffer from immediate physical trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and mental health issues. ⁴ Organizations and responders must come together to quantify the burden of domestic violence during the COVID‐19 pandemic and mobilize resources to address it. Additionally, COVID‐19 testing sites must partner with domestic violence response organizations to incorporate screenings for domestic violence. Stakeholders can integrate discrete reporting platforms into grocery stores or other essential public spaces. Survivors and those who advocate for them must be included in the public health conversation surrounding COVID‐19. While “staying safe” indeed means remaining virus‐free, it also requires we all fight for those who are vulnerable to violence at home.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

AA, CC, LY, and TB contributed substantially to the conception of the piece. AA, CC, and LY performed the literature review. All authors contributed to drafting the article and providing critical revision. TB provided final approval of the version to publish. All authors agreed to be accountable for the accuracy of all aspects of the work.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflicts of interest.