Updated on April 20, 2020.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are living under stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19. But for some victims of domestic abuse, home is not the safe haven it should be during this time of crisis. In fact, the pandemic has spawned a dangerous wave of intimate partner violence behind closed doors.
“We know lockdowns and quarantines are essential to suppressing COVID-19,” United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General António Guterres said in an April 2020 statement. “But they can trap women with abusive partners. Over the past weeks, as economic and social pressures and fear have grown, we have seen a horrifying global surge in domestic violence.”
Reports of domestic violence in France have increased 30 percent since the country went on lockdown in March, according to the U.N. They’ve also spiked in Argentina, Singapore and many other countries around the globe—including the United States.
Intimate partner violence in America
Cities across the U.S. are reporting more domestic violence calls to police, and many departments are expecting a surge in cases as stay-at-home orders drag on.
In New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak, domestic violence officers have been conducting phone calls with abused partners, sharing safety plans and cell phone access with them, and carefully setting “code words” for them to signal abuse in close quarters.
In hard-hit Chicago, domestic violence calls reportedly rose more than 14 percent in the week ending April 5, compared to the same week in 2019. In response, ride-share companies Uber and Lyft have stepped in by donating free rides to Chicagoans fleeing abuse. The program will be coordinated through the state’s domestic violence hotline.
Domestic and family violence is on the radar of Congress, too. Lawmakers set aside $45 million for domestic violence prevention programs as part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act package signed into law in March 2020.
How advocates are handling the influx
Workers at domestic violence hotlines are often the first to hear of an abusive home situation. Calls, chats and texts to the National Domestic Violence Hotline are currently averaging 1,800 to 2,000 per day during the COVID-19 crisis, says Chief Executive Officer Katie Ray-Jones. While that volume is typical, she notes that there’s been an increase in the number of people who are concerned their abusive partner is using the pandemic to further isolate, coerce or increase fear in the relationship.
This abuse could manifest in different ways, according to a March 2020 Hotline report. Some abusers may use fear of the virus to keep people away from their children or extended family. They could prevent their partners from receiving medical help. Or, they may withhold items like hand sanitizer, disinfectants and insurance cards. One Hotline caller even reported they were abused after their partner “was sure” they were trying to infect them with the virus.
Help may be limited, too. Partners may not be able to reach out for help if their abusers are watching their every move during isolation, Ray-Jones says. The usual resources, like court action on protection orders and access to medical clinics, may not be available. There are reports that some shelters are full or have stopped taking new people to keep current residents healthy, as well.
When you need help
If you’re concerned about or have already experienced intimate partner violence during the pandemic, it’s important to have a strategy to remain safe while you’re at home or, if necessary, to leave. The National Domestic Violence Hotline’s Path to Safety can help you create a plan to protect yourself.
Ray-Jones encourages vulnerable people to call the Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, privately chat through the website or text “loveis” to 22522. Hotline advocates can help abuse victims come up with ways to stay safe in their unique situation and locate resources available in the community. If you feel like you’re in immediate danger, call 911.
Unfortunately, the true extent of COVID-19’s impact on domestic violence probably won’t be known for some time. “We suspect that we may not see a surge in individuals reaching out until shelter-in-place protocols are lifted and as people start returning to work or school and are apart from their abusive partners,” Ray-Jones says.
