COVID-19 saw nationwide lockdowns keeping people isolated in their homes for months. While many people struggled to adjust to this new way of life, some people faced an even larger struggle: being isolated with an abusive partner.
In a typical year over 200 million women and girls experience domestic violence. During the pandemic, this number increased dramatically. With new stressors surrounding financial security and health concerns, tensions rose dramatically in households with abusive partners and led to an increase in incidents of violence. With less access to mandated reporters such as teachers, child-care care providers, or doctors, abuse was able to carry on longer without intervention.
While victims in general rose overall, minorities were hit the hardest. Marginalized groups rate of cause increased by 50% or more in different areas across the country. These groups were also affected in higher rates by other aspects of the pandemic such as rate of infection and unemployment as a consequence of lockdowns.
With lockdowns lifting, there are still millions of victims of domestic violence who need support. To learn more about resources near you to help you or a loved one, consider calling the national domestic violence hotline or looking in a local service provider directory. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, don’t ignore it, there are services available to provide the support that is needed no matter what.
