Domestic abuse risen up numbers as pandemic rages
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, reports of domestic violence
are increasing around the world. With one in three women globally experiencing
violence over their lifetimes, the world was already facing a crisis. Now,
COVID-19 is exacerbating the problem.
The rampant spread of the virus has forced victims to stay at home with their
abusers, leaving them with few opportunities to seek shelter or solace. Victims
in the world’s poorest countries, especially those with already-existing
humanitarian crises, are the most vulnerable. International development
organizations must ramp up their efforts to prevent and address domestic
violence in order to stop a pandemic of violence from emerging.
International development and humanitarian aid touch the lives of millions of
people on a daily basis, with many of these beneficiaries being women.
According to Public Radio International, the U.S. government funds over $1
billion each year to gender equality activities. The world’s largest development
organizations all implement gender programming, and many carry out
domestic violence awareness and prevention projects, such as Oxfam’s
“Enough” campaign. Equipped with financial resources, these organizations
can shift their focus to mitigating violence among their beneficiaries and put a
stop to the rapidly rising rate of domestic violence.
As the world battles COVID-19, the pandemic’s consequences are intensified
among women as compared to men. The United Nations Population
Fund released a report stating that pandemics increase the risk for genderbased violence; during the Ebola outbreak, women, and children experienced
higher rates of sexual violence.
These risks are even worse for poor, vulnerable populations.
The same UNFPA report articulated the capacity gaps in countries with high
levels of poverty and conflict. In the low- and middle-income countries, the
danger of COVID-19 will only compound existing cases of domestic violence
and increase the danger of lethality. International organizations working to
provide health care and humanitarian assistance to communities should
simultaneously address domestic violence to protect vulnerable victims.
If international development organizations address domestic violence head-on
during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, they will experience positive, longterm effects in their gender programming. Research shows that the
relationship between domestic violence and women’s empowerment programs
is mixed, with evidence showing empowerment programs both increasing and
decreasing women’s risk of experiencing violence.
When women receive more education and contribute financially to the
household, this increase in status may make them less vulnerable to domestic
violence. On the other hand, if women live in areas with negative gender
norms, their empowerment may actually threaten their partners’ household
status and increase the risk of domestic violence.
With the potential risks in mind, development organizations should err on the
side of caution and create specific interventions targeting domestic violence.
When working with women, organizations must be aware of the potential
danger these individuals will face as a result of their participation in activities.
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Most domestic violence advocates develop safety plans with their clients to help
them prepare for any scenario that might come their way. Staff at
development organizations can help victims facing violence with basic safety
planning: they can discuss how to minimize risk while living with an abusive
partner, plan how to leave if violence in the home escalates, and, if
appropriate, refer victims to local law enforcement.
At the very least, staff can be a source of emotional support to survivors of
violence rather than leaving them to experience violence alone. Using
safeguarding techniques leads to more ethical development work and effective
gender programming. Only when women are safe from violence can they then
experience true empowerment.
There may be hesitation to funnel resources into domestic violence
interventions while this pandemic continues. However, international
development organizations must recognize that both COVID-19 and domestic
violence are imminent public health issues linked closely together.
Victims of violence are at great risk during this time of heightened stress and
fear. In countries that already lack robust social and legal services for domestic
violence victims, development organizations may be one among only a few
potential sources of resources and safety.
If international organizations currently lack the capacity to directly address
violence on their own, they can support local domestic violence intervention
programs financially. As they build up capacity, organizations can also bolster
existing government resources.
Recently, UN Women issued a brief and a series of recommendations for all sectors
of society on COVID-19 and ending violence against women and girls — these
recommendations are a perfect starting point for international organizations.
Earlier this month, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called on
governments to address the global rise in domestic violence incidents.
International development organizations must partner with governments and
other civil society actors and respond to that call. As domestic violence cases
continue to rise around the world, we must act now to support those suffering
from these parallel pandemics.
COVID‐19 (the new strain of coronavirus) has been declared a global pandemic. Measures
announced over recent weeks to tackle it have seen people's day‐to‐day life drastically altered.
These changes are essential to beat coronavirus and protect health systems (UK Home
Office, 2020). However, there are unintended, negative consequences. As the virus continues to
spread across the world, it brings with it multiple new stresses, including physical and
psychological health risks, isolation and loneliness, the closure of many schools and businesses,
economic vulnerability and job losses. Through all of that, children and their mothers are
particularly vulnerable (End Violence against Children, 2020) to the risk of domestic violence.
Domestic violence refers to a range of violations that happen within a domestic space. It is a
broad term that encompasses intimate partner violence (IPV), a form of abuse that is perpetrated
by a current or ex‐partner. In this editorial, we talk about “domestic violence” because this is the
term used most often in the media. It is important to clarify though that we are mainly referring
to IPV and its impact on children who live with or are exposed to IPV between adults. We also
focus mainly on women, because they are disproportionately affected by domestic violence;
however, we recognise that domestic abuse happens to men and occurs within same‐sex
relationships.
It is a matter of just about a week ago where one of us (Bradbury‐Jones) was writing another
editorial about COVID‐19 for the Journal of Clinical Nursing, reflecting on life in the pandemic
(Jackson et al., 2020). Within that editorial, we raised the emerging concern as to whether
domestic violence rates would rise as a result of the “lockdown” that is being imposed by many
countries across the globe. Although these measures vary, to some degree, in their timing and
severity, they generally require that people stay at home and only leave for an essential reason
such as buying food, collecting medication or carrying out a key worker role. At the time of
writing this first editorial, the concern was expressed as speculation, a questioning as to whether
it might happen. Within such a short time span, there is clear evidence that we need to speculate
no more. Domestic violence rates are rising, and they are rising fast.
Experience in New Zealand and internationally has shown that family violence (including IPV,
child abuse and elder abuse) and sexual violence can escalate during and after large‐scale
disasters or crises (NZFVC, 2020). Around the world, as communities have gone into lockdown
to stop the spread of coronavirus, the mass efforts to save lives have put women in abusive
relationships more at risk. A very recent article published in The Guardian (2020) reported on
how the surge of domestic violence cases is a pattern being repeated globally. Reporting from
several different countries, the article highlighted alarming figures, for example a rise of 40% or
50% in Brazil. In one region of Spain, the government claimed that calls to its helpline had risen
by 20% in the first few days of the confinement period and in Cyprus, calls to a similar hotline
rose 30% in the week after the country confirmed its first case of coronavirus. In the UK,
Refuge, one of the leading domestic abuse organisations reported that calls to the UK Domestic
Violence Helpline increased by 25% in the seven days following the announcement of tighter
social distancing and lockdown measures by the government. During the same period, there was
a 150% increase in visits to the Refuge website (BBC, 2020). Governments across the globe are
imposing necessary draconian measures to try to level the curve of the virus and to delay its
peak. In the UK where we both live and work, we have listened to what has become a
well‐rehearsed mantra: Stay Home; Protect the National Health Service (NHS); Save Lives. We
use this editorial to propose the pandemic paradox, to unravel and problematise these measures
in terms of what they mean for those who are living and surviving abusive relationships.
Let us start with staying at home. Home is not always a safe place to live; in fact, for adults and
children living in situations of domestic and familial violence, home is often the space where
physical, psychological and sexual abuse occurs. This is because home can be a place where
dynamics of power can be distorted and subverted by those who abuse, often without scrutiny
from anyone “outside” the couple, or the family unit. In the COVID‐19 crisis, the exhortation to
“stay at home” therefore has major implications for those adults and children already living with
someone who is abusive or controlling. Stringent restrictions on movement shut off avenues of
escape, help‐seeking and ways of coping for victim–survivors. Restrictive measures are also
likely to play into the hands of people who abuse through tactics of control, surveillance and
coercion. This is partly because what goes in within people's homes—and, critically, within their
family and intimate relationships—take place “behind closed doors” and out of the view, in a
literal sense, of other people. Unintentionally, lockdown measures may therefore grant people
who abuse greater freedom to act without scrutiny or consequence. Social norms and attitudes
that suggest there is a “sanctity” to family life—to home, in a social rather than physical sense—
can also make it difficult for people to speak out about, let alone leave, abusive situations as a
result of feelings of shame and embarrassment. During the COVID‐19 crisis, it is therefore
important to think critically about idealised representations of home and family and to make it
possible for people to talk about, and where possible take action to counter abusive and
controlling family life. Asking people directly, on repeated occasions, about whether they
consistently feel safe at home is one way of doing this; however, it is also important that people
asking this question have the time and emotional resources to listen and respond to the
often‐subtle ways that people indicate they are scared and unsafe.
As regards protecting health, social and therapeutic services, of course there has been
considerable focus on front‐line staff, directly relevant to dealing with the novel coronavirus.
Nurses and health professionals are clearly at the forefront of the response to COVID‐19 and we
stand with those underlining the need to meet, as a basic requirement, health professionals’
physical, practical and emotional needs during and after the immediate impact of the pandemic.
It is vital that health services are protected and resourced. It is also vital, however, that we
continue and where necessary increase support to the services who work alongside health and
avoid tendencies to pit services against one another in practical or moral terms. Services working
alongside health include the advocates, therapists and helpline practitioners working in specialist
domestic and sexual violence services in the voluntary sector. These organisations provide an
array of services, including but not limited to refuge accommodation, independent advocacy and
peer support and mentoring services. Their independence is often highly valued by victim–
survivors, many of whom may have had difficult experiences with institutions such as the police
or social services. During the COVID‐19 crisis, these services are more crucial than ever. They
provide support and care to victim–survivors experiencing immediate danger and distress. Thus,
it is critical that governments across the world enable these services to remain open. This means
ensuring that voluntary sector practitioners can access personal protective equipment, be paid in
full and be supported to care for their own families whilst working. It also means finding new
solutions, including increasing capacity for helpline services and running targeted campaigns,
alongside specialist services, about discrete ways that victim–survivors can contact the
emergency services without alerting their abuser (Independent Office for Police Conduct, 2019).
For people already accessing crisis and therapeutics services, the use of phone support and online
technologies to provide advice and counselling is welcomed. However, it is also important to
recognise that victim–survivors may not have access to these mechanisms because of control
tactics used by an abusive partner, or more simply, because they cannot afford them. This
underlines the need to provide different types of support and to recognise that many people will
simply not be able to access help or care whilst social restrictions are in place and this will have
an impact on their safety, health and well‐being now and in the longer term.
In terms of saving lives, one of the most serious manifestations of intimate partner and familial
abuse is domestic homicide. In the UK, approximately two women are killed every week by their
current or ex‐partner. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, reports have emerged of an apparent
increase in domestic homicides in a number of affected countries. In March 2020, Spain (a
country that has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic) saw its first domestic violence
fatality just 5 days following lockdown; a woman was murdered by her husband in front of their
children in Valencia. There is also emerging evidence of an increased number of domestic
homicides in the UK since the lockdown restrictions were enacted (Ingala Smith, 2020). At this
early stage of the pandemic, it is too early to verify whether the increased reporting of these
deaths represents an actual rise in domestic homicide rates or increased media attention.
However, it is important to highlight that reported cases are of violence are known to be a small
percentage of actual incidents. Moreover, the emerging homicide numbers underline the serious
and potentially devastating unintended consequences of the pandemic for victim–survivors of
abuse.
At the time of writing, we are grappling, like everyone else, with the myriad, often deeply
worrying effects of this novel coronavirus. Seeking to stem its spread, safeguard our health
systems and, critically, best protect those with health vulnerabilities that put them at risk of
life‐limiting or life‐ending illness, it has been necessary to alter social behaviours like never
before and for governments to alter radically, the extent to which they intervene into our private
lives and behaviours. We raise concerns about the needs and experiences of victim–survivors of
domestic violence as a way of drawing attention to some of the unfortunate and troubling
paradoxes of social distancing and isolation measures, not in opposition to them. We do so
because the voices and needs of victim–survivors are too often over‐looked and
under‐represented in some parts of the media and within policy and political spheres. We also
raise these issues because there are actions that may help to mitigate the additional risks that
COVID‐19, and its attendant social and economic effects, may have on victim–survivors.
National and local governments can, for example, take action now in terms of protecting and
supporting services that provide crisis and therapeutic support to victim‐survivors. However, it is
also by being aware of and, where possible, reaching out to those who may be affected by
domestic violence that we can support one another, whether in our personal or professional lives.
This pandemic creates a paradox as regards staying safe at home and it is one to which we should
all pay attention. Governments across the globe have called upon us all to play our individual
part in tackling COVID‐19 by staying at home, but a critical mindfulness of what this means for
many women and children is also important.
Around the world, as cities have gone into lockdown to stop the spread of
coronavirus, the mass efforts to save lives have put one vulnerable group more at
risk.
Women and children who live with domestic violence have no escape from their
abusers during quarantine, and from Brazil to Germany, Italy to China, activists
and survivors say they are already seeing an alarming rise in abuse.
In Hubei province, the heart of the initial coronavirus outbreak, domestic
violence reports to police more than tripled in one county alone during the
lockdown in February, from 47 last year to 162 this year, activists told local
media.
“The epidemic has had a huge impact on domestic violence,” Wan Fei, a retired
police officer who founded a charity campaigning against abuse, told Sixth Tone
website. “According to our statistics, 90% of the causes of violence [in this period]
are related to the Covid-19 epidemic.”
It is a pattern being repeated globally. In Brazil a state-run drop-in centre has
already seen a surge in cases it attributes to coronavirus isolation, the Brazilian
broadcaster Globo said.
“We think there has been a rise of 40% or 50%, and there was already really big
demand,” said Adriana Mello, a Rio de Janeiro judge specialising in domestic
violence. “We need to stay calm in order to tackle this difficulty we are now
facing.”
The Catalan regional government said that calls to its helpline had risen by 20%
in the first few days of the confinement period; in Cyprus, calls to a similar
hotline rose 30% in the week after 9 March, when the island had its first
confirmed case of coronavirus.
The measures taken over the last two months to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic have suddenly changed daily human functioning. Social distancing, self-isolation,
loss of freedom, uncertainty, school and business closings, economic vulnerability and job
loss have been some results of the lockdown.1-3 It is recognized that large-scale disasters,
whether traumatic (mass shootings), natural (hurricanes), or environmental (ocean oil
spills), are often associated with higher levels of mental disorders (such as depression,
substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder), domestic violence, and child abuse.2
People worldwide have been told by authorities to stay home to reduce the transmission of
coronavirus, and social isolation and domestic quarantine can deepen relationships between
family members, intensifying intimacy, affective exchanges, personal ties and previous
behaviors, thus becoming a period of emotional growth for all involved. On the other hand,
it is well-known that most violence against women is perpetrated by family members, and in
times of crisis and during epidemics, the number of cases tends to increase. In domestic
spaces where this “invisible monster” lives, a range of violations can occur, including
intimate partner violence and domestic homicide. Thus, the quarantine forces vulnerable
people to share space with their aggressors, which is cause for social alert. The distorted
dynamics of power in the homes of abusive or controlling individuals can easily intensify
during this crisis, since the abuser has more freedom to act, while the victim’s movement is
restricted, and continued exposure limits the victim’s capacity to cope or seek help.
There are also fewer police interventions and less access to the justice system during
quarantine, which makes reporting more difficult and contributes to impunity. The
situational stress, threat of unemployment, reduced income, perpetrator-imposed
restrictions (such as continuous control of social media, Internet access, and mobile
phones), as well as substance abuse (especially alcohol), limited resources and less social
support for victims could all contribute to an increased risk of domestic violence and
femicide.1,4-6
Scientific studies and the news media have reported that domestic violence is a real risk in
this new context, especially for wives, mothers, children, pets and older adults. 1,4,5 On
March 28, 2020 an article in The Guardian claimed that domestic violence cases had
increased 40% to 50% in Brazil. Police reports and helpline calls due to domestic violence
have increased in Argentina, Canada, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK
and the USA.1,4-6
The mass release of prisoners to reduce the risk of transmission is another worry. If such
were to happen, the risk for victims and households would increase, given that violent
offenders, including domestic violence perpetrators, would be among the released. 6
Domestic violence is a serious social and medico-legal issue that could worsen with alcohol
and/or drug use. A recent study of 938 women in the city of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
found that when their partners used alcohol and drugs, they were more vulnerable to
domestic violence.7 Stress from the COVID-19 pandemic and the boredom associated with
confinement can be risk factors for alcohol and drug use/abuse. These substances may be
consumed to relieve negative feelings such as lack of control, financial worries and fear of
death.8 Anxious and depressive symptoms (including withdrawal syndrome) can be
aggravated in alcohol and drug users due to reduced supply from liquor store and local
business closings. These symptoms may lead to more aggressive behavior in individuals
with dysfunctional personality traits or personality disorders.9 Impulsivity could contribute to
increased substance consumption or relapse and, thus, intensify tendencies toward
domestic violence.10
Mechanisms for prevention, surveillance, reporting, and intervention in domestic violence
cases are necessary and can include:
a. Mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers)
asking people directly and repeatedly whether they feel safe at home. Such
assessments could be made in person during health center visits, by telephone (tollfree numbers), or online;
b. Mental health professionals offering continuous treatment for alcohol and drug
abusers, either through face-to-face contact or telemedicine, to avoid or reduce
states of emotional instability and the worsening of comorbid mental disorders;
c. Community initiatives ensuring that citizens know about the increased risk of
domestic violence during the pandemic and encouraging them to check on their
neighbors, friends and family (while adhering to social distancing regulations) and
report warning signs to local authorities.1-3,6
In conclusion, the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic go far beyond measures to
prevent disease transmission and reduce its impact on the global population. Although social
distancing protects against contamination, it exposes dysfunctional families to the physical,
emotional and economic consequences domestic violence, which could culminate in
permanent disability or death for victims and their descendants (extended femicide).
Studies indicate that the increased rates of domestic violence after a natural disaster often
extend for several months.6
Since domestic violence must be considered a public health consequence of the COVID-19
pandemic, police and psychiatric interventions are necessary, and professionals should be
aware of the high likelihood of increased victimization rates, both during and long after the
crisis, particularly among quarantined families that have a previous history or risk factors
for domestic violence.
As a result of the lockdown, many people are trapped at home
with abusive partners. We examine the impact of the pandemic on
rates of domestic violence in the United States and throughout the
world.
Living with an abusive partner can feel isolating, and an ongoing lockdown
can amplify this feeling.
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Although the word “pandemic” refers to the possibility that a disease could
affect everyone, it does not suggest that everyone is affected in the same
way.
Some groups have been more severely affected by coronavirus disease 19
(COVID-19) than others. This is often a result of existing inequalities that the
current global crisis only exacerbates.
One example involves domestic violence. People of all genders can
experience this abuse, but studies conducted before the pandemic indicate
that it disproportionately affects women.
For example, a U.S. Department of Justice special report on intimate partner
violence (IPV) found that from 1994 to 2010, 4 in 5 people who experienced
this form of abuse were female.
In 1994, for example, “85% of IPV victims were female, and the remaining
15% were male,” the authors note, highlighting a trend that remained roughly
the same until 2010.
More recent data, spanning 80 countries, found that almost 30% of women
who have ever been in a relationship have experienced “physical and/or
sexual violence” from their partners at some point.
Pandemics and natural disasters tend to amplify these trends, and COVID-19
is no exception.
In this Special Feature, we examine the ways in which the current health crisis
and accompanying lockdowns have affected people, particularly women, in
abusive relationships or living arrangements in the U.S. and around the world.
First, it is important to note that this article does not offer advice about
coping with an abusive partner or direct help. However, if you or
someone you love is in this situation, help is available, even during
lockdown.
In the U.S., the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 via:

the phone, at 1-800-799-7233

chat, at thehotline.org

text, a person can text LOVEIS to 22522
Another resource is the StrongHearts Native Helpline, which is available by
calling 1-844-7-NATIVE (762-8483) between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Central
Standard Time.
Deborah J. Vagins, the president and CEO of the National Network to End
Domestic Violence (NNEDV) told Medical News Today: “If you are trapped at
home with an abusive partner — first, don’t let COVID-19 keep you from
seeking services. Shelters, local providers, and hotline services are still open.”
“Your local domestic violence program is also there for you, and many of them
are offering digital or virtual services. They can help you make a safety plan to
fit your situation, such as staying with family or friends, staying in motels, or
other options. You can also find a list of resources
at https://nnedv.org/gethelp or find your state coalition
at https://nnedv.org/coalitions.”
The following organizations also offer resources, including toll-free helplines,
for people in the U.S. who are facing domestic violence during the pandemic:

Futures Without Violence

Asian Women’s Shelter

Strong Hearts Native Helpline

Asian Women’s Self Help Association

Narika

Sakhi for South Asian Women

W.O.M.A.N., Inc.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which has a more
comprehensive list of resources for various sociodemographic groups

The Office on Women’s Health, which lists resources by state
Lessons from past epidemics
When it comes to domestic violence, researchers and nongovernmental
organizations are urging governments to look to previous health crises for
examples of what to do and avoid in their COVID-19 responses.
In a new Bioethics report titled “Lessons never learned: Crisis and
gender‐based violence,” lead author Neetu John — an assistant professor of
population and family health at Columbia University — and her co-authors
draw parallels between COVID-19 and previous epidemics.
Exacerbated violence and exploitation
They show that the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis in West Africa, for instance, led to
increased violence against women because “Reports of violence were
deprioritized, uncounted, and unrecognized.” School closures and quarantine
further amplified abuse and exploitation of women and girls.
COVID-19 is set to follow the same path, warns a report from the United
Nations: “The Ebola pandemic demonstrated that multiple forms of violence
are exacerbated within crisis contexts, including trafficking, child marriage,
and sexual exploitation and abuse. COVID-19 is likely driving similar trends at
present.”
Furthermore, roles traditionally expected of women place them in
disadvantaged positions during crises. Women are essential to the response
during a pandemic, but they have little say in top-level decision making.
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