Rise of Domestic Abuse
The current state of quarantine has created a situation where victims of domestic abuse have been forced to continue living with their abusers, putting the safety of women, children and other vulnerable parties at risk.
Sociologist Marianne Miller has stated that “Domestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together, such as the Christmas or Summer Vacations.” As this time of quarantine continues, ensuring that many families and partners spend more time together, domestic abuse hotlines have been receiving a steadily increasing amount of reports and domestic violence incidents have been on a concerning rise.
Confirmed Locations
China, Spain, Turkey, Germany, France, Canada, US, Australia
HOW IS THIS ISSUE GROWING BECAUSE OF COVID-19?
The conditions introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced domestic violence victims to stay in lockdown, often with their abusers. With shelters closing due to risk of infection, families needing to stay in isolation due to social distancing and protective orders being difficult to report, these victims are left with few options of escaping their violent situation.
WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS?
Key stakeholders include domestic violence victims and survivors. These typically include women, children and other vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled individuals and minorities. Other stakeholders include domestic abusers, domestic violence shelters, domestic violence organizations/helplines and governments.
GROUPS WORKING ON THIS ISSUE
We Will Stop Femicide Platform; Equality, a Beijing-based NGO dedicated to combating violence against women; National Domestic Violence Hotline; The Athena Project; Intimate Partner Violence; Psychological Wellness Guide for Survivors of Domestic Violence