Covid’s impact on Domestic Violence
The Corona Virus has shaped the way we live life. We are in quarantine and daily life is different. People are struggling and have a difficult time coping. We have become an isolated society with little or no access to friends and family. How are we protecting the vulnerable in our families? Is it safe to leave my house? Do I have a job? If so, working remote or hybrid? Is my job safe? Are my children going to school? Daycare? Masks? Social Distance? These are just some of the difficult questions we ask ourselves. As the coronavirus goes on, certain topics are lost in the dialogue. According to a report released by NBC News, law enforcement across the U.S. saw domestic violence cases rise by 35%in recent months. Experts claim that as city and state leaders ordered people to stay home and stop the spread of COVID 19, domestic abuse became more prevalent. The Human Rights Watch declares that domestic violence has increased around the world. One out of three women in the world will experience physical or sexual violence according to the World Health Organization, it may be the most widespread but least represented human rights abuse.
Domestic Violence for a majority of women, children and LGBTQ+ home can be a dangerous place to be. There has been an increase of services needed such as shelters, Food Banks, legal aid, child day care, medical care, school closures and even libraries. The staff is overworked and overwhelmed or even closed. There is no clear answer to this crisis, but I believe talking about domestic abuse and the effects on women and families should be discussed. Hopefully, shining the light on this crisis will open up the dialogue needed to create a safer world.
For more information please read the following article.
Campbell, Andrew M. (2020), “An increasing risk of family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: Strengthening community collaborations to save lives”, Available at https://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC71529
The Interpreter, (2020) “A new COVID-19 Crisis: Domestic abuse rise Worldwide” [online]
Available at: https/victimbar.org/a-new-covid-19-crisis-domestic-abuse-rise-worldwide
The National Domestic Hotline, www.thehotline.com