The Rise of Domestic Abuse and Violence Due to COVID-19
As the coronavirus swept the nation back in March of 2020, millions of Americans were forced into quarantine by the American government’s mandated isolation in the interest of public health. This world crisis has had devastating repercussions, such as the high death toll, the complete shutdown of the economy, and the disproportionate rate at which these issues affect communities of color the most. However, one of the more commonly overlooked consequences of this crisis is its effects on the rates of domestic abuse and violence.
Domestic abuse and violence are often crimes that go unreported. Happening behind closed doors, many victims fear for their safety and may not have the resources to reach out for help. The government-mandated quarantine, the shutdown of many public programs, and the closing of schools have left victims locked inside of a household with their abusers. In this situation, it can be very difficult to reach out for help — especially for children and undocumented immigrants. The full scope of how this increase in domestic abuse and violence will affect its victims and subsequently the country, long term is unknown. It has become obvious that the very policies put in place to protect the general population, may have just threatened the wellbeing and safety of countless people now stuck inside their own homes.
The New York Times was one of the first organizations to bring attention to the sharply rising rates of domestic abuse and violence due to movement restrictions and social distancing. In a New York Times article, “A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide,” the health crisis of domestic abuse within the health crisis of Coronavirus is highlighted. To illustrate the idea of domestic abuse as a health crisis, rather than just an effect, the article references data that compares domestic abuse rates to opportunistic infection, as it flourishes in the conditions created by the pandemic. According to Marianne Hester, a sociologist cited in the article who studies abusive relationships, abuse increases when families spend more time together — for example around summers and holidays. The author mentions that, with families in lockdown worldwide, hotlines are lighting up with abuse reports, leaving governments trying to address a crisis that experts say “they should have seen coming.” Families are locked inside together for an indefinite amount of time, and domestic violence has become an entirely new crisis that the government is scrambling to address.
Although this is a consequence of isolation that the government likely should have seen coming, it’s important to remember that the government appeared to be entirely unprepared for a pandemic in the first place. In an early press conference on April 1, 2020, PBS NewsHour reporter, Yamiche Alcindor questioned former President Trump about his 2018 decision to disband the National Security Council’s Pandemic-Response Office, and Trump largely avoided answering the question. However, members of the NSC later spoke out, “…arguing that they merely streamlined a bloated organization and put pandemic and bioweapons experts in the same room, a move that was tested in real-time by the 2018 upsurge in cases of the Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Former officials say that the outbreak has been largely defeated, proof that the current White House can readily respond to such threats if given enough warning.”
Rather than taking responsibility, the Trump White House blamed China, claiming the country waited too long to alert the world of the spread of COVID-19. However, if the pandemic-response office had not been disbanded, the country may have been in a significantly better position to handle the coronavirus outbreak. An article published on March 19, 2020, in Time Magazine, revealed that only seven days prior to President Trump’s inauguration, the pandemic-response team held a tabletop exercise where many of the scenarios faced currently were played out: a global pandemic, a shortage of ventilators, and the necessity of a unified response. Having a government-organized plan for such scenarios likely would have been a vital tool for containing the outbreak, as well as limiting the extended suffering caused by the virus. The United States government's lack of preparation likely caused a significant amount of suffering for the American people, which may have been avoided if such a team was still in place.
Despite the American government’s failure in regards to preparation, it is not the only country that has struggled with domestic abuse situations. The government-mandated lockdown in China also forced families to quarantine together, putting many people (primarily women and children) who may have already been in abusive relationships, in much worse situations. In the same article from the New York Times, the author uses the phrase “intimate terrorism” to describe what many people are facing being locked in with their abusers. The phrase is used in regards to a report of a 26-year-old woman named Lele (whose name was shortened for safety purposes) whose husband beat her with a high chair as she shielded her 11-month-old daughter from the blows that caused such severe injuries that “…every inch of her lower legs [were] covered in bruises, [and there was] a huge hematoma blooming on her left calf.”
Unfortunately, there are likely many more families across the country who are suffering through situations much like Lele’s. The increased stress and pressure on governments due to COVID-19 draws attention and resources away from an already marginalized issue. Such tensions bring issues already prevalent to a violent head and often push people towards the outburst of brutality even worse than previous abuse. For example, Lele mentioned that her husband had been abusive throughout their six-year relationship, yet when the Coronavirus broke out things became significantly worse, eventually leading to the physical assault. Additionally, countries such as France and Spain have seen a sharp increase in domestic violence rates with French police reporting a 30 percent increase and the emergency domestic violence number in Spain receiving an 18 percent increase in calls. As with many other preexisting issues across the globe, the Coronavirus is highlighting the failures and weaknesses of all governments and societies.
With government and social systems already under great duress, victims of domestic abuse have less access to resources as many cannot even leave their houses. Government-mandated quarantine only further gives abusers control and such stressful situations bring more opportunity for manipulation techniques as freedom is already limited. However, victims themselves may also feel they have to limit their escape or resources out of fear of the infection of themselves or their loved ones, and even if they do reach out for help now or in the future, resources are scarce In an article for Time Magazine, the author described some of the challenges faced by those currently dealing with domestic abuse by explaining, “Many victims also feel that they can no longer seek refuge at their parents’ home, for fear that they could expose their elderly parents to the virus. For some, travel restrictions may limit their ability to stay with loved ones. Women’s shelters may also be overcrowded during this time or may close their doors if the risk of infection is deemed too high.”
It appears that even the available options are incredibly strained, and any normal protocols for dealing with domestic abuse are not currently effective. In many ways, this situation even further reveals the government’s failure to have systems in place to aid victims of domestic abuse, and its overall lack of preparation to protect all of its citizens.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused immense suffering across the world. In addition to all of the lives the virus has taken and the medical crisis, it has caused numerous other negative effects. From economic concerns to the mental consequences of social distancing, the virus’s effects spread to all walks of human life. Unfortunately, there are many groups of people who are suffering disproportionately, and victims of domestic abuse are one of those groups. The Federal lockdowns have created social situations that are extremely conducive to increasing domestic abuse and violence, and the virus only adds to the difficulty of finding help in an underdeveloped system. The government’s lack of preparedness not only for the virus but also its failure to address the issue of domestic violence is highlighted by the onset of COVID-19 and as a result victims of domestic abuse are left to suffer.
By Rosie Vollaro
Illustrations were done in collaboration with the New Media Artspace at Baruch College. The New Media Artspace is a teaching exhibition space in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Baruch College, CUNY. Housed in the Newman Library, the New Media Artspace showcases curated experimental media and interdisciplinary artworks by international artists, students, alumni, and faculty. Special thanks to docent Maya Hilbert for creating artwork for this piece.
Check the New Media Artspace out at http://www.newmediartspace.info/