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COVID-19 Pandemic Leads to Staggering Increase in Intimate Partner Violence Reports

  • Sophia Mohan
  • Oct 30, 2021
  • 5 min read

Throughout the pandemic, health guidelines have been consistent about one thing: the safest place to be is within our homes. The four walls of our homes have served simultaneously as our workplace, our restaurants, our cafes as a place of virtual socialization and relaxation. In this new reality of mandatory face covering and six feet distance, to be at home is to be as free as you could be in this pandemic.


But in creating these health guidelines, policymakers and public health officials failed to consider this question: what if your home is not the safe haven it is supposed to be?


Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an upward trend of intimate partner violence (IPV) worldwide.


Google reported a 75% spike in searches related to domestic violence in Australia. Mexico saw a 53% increase in domestic violence-related emergency calls within the first four months of the pandemic. France’s reports of IPV increased nearly 30% since the beginning of stay-at-home quarantine measures in March 2020.


This phenomenon does not exclude Canada. From September 1st to December 31st, 2020, the Assaulted Women’s Helpline answered 20,334 calls. This is a staggering number to consider when compared to the same time the previous year when the helpline answered 12,352 calls. What proves further concerning are reports from Statistics Canada suggesting that one in ten Canadian women were anxious about potential violence in their homes due to stay-at-home orders.


The upward trend is so concerning that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the United Nations called for policymakers to take action. Guterres writes on Twitter, “I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic.”



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges governments worldwide to prioritize women’s safety amid COVID-19 restrictions

The bottom line is, the pandemic and its corresponding public health guidelines have created the conditions for intimate partner violence to increase severely.


What is Intimate Partner Violence?


The World Health Organization (WHO) defines “Intimate partner violence” as “physical, sexual and emotional abuse and controlling behaviours by an intimate partner.” Physical violence doesn’t always have to be present, engaging in insults, humiliation tactics or even restricting access to finances can be considered forms of IPV.


While there definitely are cases of women being violent in relationships with men, most IPV survivors are women.


What Is Causing The Upward Spike?


The Centre for Disease Control lists several individuals, relationships and community factors that could cause increased vulnerabilities for intimate partner violence. Among them include financial strain, heavy alcohol and substance use and unemployment.


The pandemic and public health restrictions have created recession-like effects on the economy. The first few months of stay-at-home measures saw a country-wide job loss of nearly one million jobs. Despite loosening restrictions, the loss continues to happen. As much as 207,000 jobs were lost in April 2021, putting the unemployment rate at a high of 8.1%.


Additionally, the Canadian Centre for Substance Use reports that alcohol consumption has increased since March 2020. The lack of daily structure, a physical workplace, and its corresponding boundaries seem to turn many adults to increase their alcohol intake.


As a result, these factors have created several stressors for Canadian families. Individuals could lose their job, leading to a severely strained personal or family income. The unpredictability of restrictions makes employment more and more precarious. For people in vulnerable situations, financial dependence could be impeding their ability to leave abusive relationships.


The lack of a workplace, commute or in-person school sees families and couples spending increased amounts of time together. Increased alcohol consumption could be turning up the volume on domestic disputes, lowering self-control and rationality.


Stay-at-home guidelines also cut individuals off from their external support systems, whether their friends, family, or medical professionals.


Opportunities for other support systems such as physicians to identify signs of abuse are becoming fewer and farther between. Medical clinics are focusing on telehealth, contacting their patients by phone or video-conferencing platforms. In this distant form of patient-physician contact, medical professionals are less likely able to identify possible warning signs of abuse. Any patient who wants to disclose their abuse might be hesitant if they are speaking in close quarters to the people who abuse them.


A similar situation played out in a Michigan courtroom proceeding for domestic violence over Zoom. After seeing the victim's hesitant and anxious body language, prosecutor Deborah Davis promptly realized her client was in the same apartment as the person who was abusing her. Fearing her client's safety and the possible use of intimidation tactics during the proceeding, she alerted the judge. The perpetrator was arrested soon after.


All these factors combined create the conditions in which IPV can manifest or get significantly worse. Ultimately, this puts many people in a catch-22. Abiding by stay-at-home orders means staying trapped in unrelenting contact with abusers, with little ability to reach out for support.


What Can Be Done?


The Centres for Disease Control lists several factors that can help combat IPV. Among them are "high-quality relationships" and "social support." Maintaining social connections is a crucial protective factor for individuals who may be vulnerable.


Isolation hides abuse and facilitating regular check-ins helps to counteract the harmful effects of isolation. Outside social supports have the potential to both identify possible red flags and facilitate access to resources, especially during this pandemic.


Getting help also means knowing where to find it. While resources such as crisis lines, shelters and low-cost counselling should be public knowledge, often, they are not. It is essential to be aware of resources and make a conscious effort to share them on our more accessible platforms, such as social media. Simple social media posts that compile these crucial resources help many individuals know what services are available to them and how to contact them. It is also helpful to remember resources should anyone come to you for help.


The pandemic has shown us that the ability to consider your home a safe retreat is a luxury. Although the COVID-19 vaccine shows promise of a return to pre-pandemic life, it is unlikely that the virus will be gone entirely just yet. The future may call for more stay-at-home orders. Public health officials and policymakers need to consider that these guidelines put women in challenging situations.


Protecting the general public should not come at the cost of women's safety.


If you or anyone you know is struggling with Intimate Partner Violence, here are some resources:


 
 
 

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