DV In the NEWS Increases in Domestic Violence: Another One of COVID-19's Possible Impacts

  Who would think that will all the awful news and inconveniences of the COVID-19 Crisis; we would also have to be mindful that Domestic Violence / Family Violence seems to be on the rise.

How do we know this?

"Domestic Violence Hotline Calls Rise 52% In Alaska." Excerpts from this Article Include: "ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Domestic violence and sexual assault organizations in Alaska have experienced a 52% increase in hotline calls as residents remain at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, a study said. 

"In that time period, shelter capacity was reduced by 57% to comply with federal social distancing guidelines, meaning some shelters limited one person to a room instead of four, the study said.

  To curtail limited space, shelters saw a 60% increase in alternative housing options such as hotel rooms and safe houses, and a 20% increase in online tool usage, the study said."

"A Pandemic within a Pandemic: Intimate Partner Violence During Covid-19"

Excerpts from this Article Include: "Domestic-violence hotlines prepared for an increase in demand for services as states enforced these mandates, but many organizations experienced the opposite. In some regions, the number of calls dropped by more than 50%.1 Experts in the field knew that rates of IPV had not decreased, but rather that victims were unable to safely connect with services. Though restrictions on movement have been lifted in most regions, the pandemic and its effects rage on, and there is widespread agreement that areas that have seen a drop in caseloads are likely to experience a second surge. This pandemic has reinforced important truths: inequities related to social determinants of health are magnified during a crisis, and sheltering in place does not inflict equivalent hardship on all people.

 One in 4 women and one in 10 men experience IPV, and violence can take various forms: it can be physical, emotional, sexual, or psychological.2 People of all races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic classes, and religions experience IPV. However, such violence has a disproportionate effect on communities of color and other marginalized groups. Economic instability, unsafe housing, neighborhood violence, and lack of safe and stable child care and social support can worsen already tenuous situations. IPV cannot be addressed without also addressing social factors, especially in the context of a pandemic that is causing substantial isolation.

 Economic independence is a critical factor in violence prevention."

"Study Finds Rise In Domestic Violence During Covid-19" 

Excerpts from this Article Include: "X-ray evidence points to pandemic lockdowns triggering a surge in cases of domestic violence.

 Data from a major Massachusetts hospital found a significant year-over-year jump in intimate partner violence cases among patients -- nearly all women -- who sought emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic's first few weeks.

 "This data confirms what we suspected," said study co-author Mardi Chadwick Balcom. "Being confined to home for a period of time would increase the possibility for violence between intimate partners."

 And the new study probably exposes "only the tip of the iceberg," said co-author Dr. Bharti Khurana, as it focused only on patients who sought emergency care at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and reported being a victim of domestic abuse."

"The scans identified 26 patients with injuries consistent with either superficial wounds or serious abuse.

 That number was nearly equal to the 27 identified at the hospital during the same weeks in 2018 and 2019 combined. It also exceeded the 15 cases of physical abuse treated in 2017.

 During spring 2020, the hospital treated 28 serious domestic abuse injuries (with some patients sustaining more than one). Such "deep" injuries resulted from strangulation, stabbing, burns and/or the use of knives or guns, the study reported.

 Five victims of severe abuse were identified in 2020, compared to one in each of the three previous years."

""For many women and girls," he added, "the threat looms largest where they should be safest, in their own homes.""

"Many shelters and safe homes have had to move people into hotels to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, so space for domestic abuse victims can be limited. But help is available, Balcom said."

"Early Numbers Suggest Domestic Violence Homicides May Be On The Rise."

Excerpts from this Article Include: "In two major counties, preliminary data shows domestic violence homicides are already twice 2019 totals—with nearly all occurring since the pandemic began."  "In Memphis, Milwaukee and Jefferson Parish, a New Orleans suburb, domestic violence homicides had equaled or surpassed last year’s total by Oct.13, NBC News found. In Tarrant County, Texas — home to Fort Worth — they had more than doubled.

 In the Seattle area, there were 14 domestic violence homicides in 2020 through Oct. 8, equal to the combined total for 2018 and 2019, according to the King County District Attorney’s office. All but one of the 2020 homicides occurred after the governor issued a Covid-19 state of emergency.

 It is too soon to draw conclusions about trends, or assign any statistical significance when working with small numbers, but any increase in domestic violence homicide is worrying, said Ruth Glenn, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

 “Hard national data is impossible to come by, but we know domestic violence is on the rise” during the pandemic, she said. “My bigger concern is those [victims] who aren’t reporting, particularly during this time when things are even more frightening and it’s potentially harmful, potentially lethal to call.”"

"“There is probably a vast number of victims that aren't coming forward because they don't know where to look, or the system — maybe they try it on their own and it's very confusing, and they give up.”"

"Family Violence and Covid-19: Increased Vulnerability and Reduced Options for Support."

Excerpts from this Article Include: "Family violence during pandemics is associated with a range of factors including economic stress, disaster-related instability, increased exposure to exploitative relationships, and reduced options for support (Peterman et al. 2020)."

"Social isolation exacerbates personal and collective vulnerabilities while limiting accessible and familiar support options (van Gelder et al. 2020). In many countries, including Australia, we have already seen an increase in demand for domestic violence services and reports of increased risk for children not attending schools (Duncan, 2020), a pattern similar to previous episodes of social isolation associated with epidemics and pandemics (Boddy, Young &

O’Leary 2020). In Australia, as stay-at-home orders came into force, the police in some parts of the country reported a 40% drop in crime overall, but a 5% increase in domestic abuse call-outs (Kagi 2020). At the same time in Australia, Google reported a 75% increase in Internet searches relating to support for domestic abuse (Poate 2020).

This pattern is repeated internationally. Reports of domestic abuse and family violence have increased around the world since social isolation and quarantine measures came into force. Recently, anecdotal evidence from the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia indicates increases in intimate partner, women, and children violence due to isolation and quarantine (Campbell 2020; Peterman et al. 2020; van Gelder et al. 2020). China, the first country to impose mass quarantine in the Wuhan province, saw reported domestic abuse incidents rise threefold in February 2020 compared to the previous year (Allen-Ebrahimian 2020). As Europe imposed quarantine measures in an effort to slow the tide of infection, the Italian government began commissioning hotels to provide shelter to the increasing number of people fleeing abusive situations (Davies & Batha 2020). Similarly, France reported a 32% - 36% increase in domestic abuse complaints following the implementation of self-isolation and quarantine measures (Reuters News Agency 2020).

France also began commissioning hotels as shelters for those fleeing abuse. As quarantine measures extended to the United States, individual states reported similar increases in domestic abuse incidents ranging from 21% to 35% (Wagers 2020). Back in Europe, the UK has also seen concerns about increase in family violence (Bradbury-Jones & Isham 2020). There have been reports of homicide associated with family violence in several countries (Bradbury-Jones & Isham 2020; Reuters News Agency 2020). The National Domestic Abuse Hotline in the UK saw a 25% increase in calls since stay-at-home measures were implemented (Kelly & Morgan 2020), recording at least eight family violence-related deaths (Knowles 2020)."

"How Smart Devices Are Exploited For Domestic Abuse."

Does More Dependence on Technology during the Pandemic NOW Make DV Victims More Vulnerable to Spying, Tracking, Stalking and Ultimate Control via Technology?

"The number of domestic abuse cases has increased dramatically since the UK's Covid lockdown - and tech has played a role.

Smart speakers, tracking apps and key-logging software are among products that have made it easier for perpetrators to maintain control of victims and continue abuse.

Domestic-violence charity Refuge says more than 70% of those it provides support to have reported tech-related abuse within a relationship.

Two people who experienced abuse during the pandemic shared their stories with BBC Click.

They asked to remain anonymous for their own safety.

"When he left the house, that's when I started to see that he was using the Ring doorbell camera to track me," says Kate, who is using a pseudonym. She is referring to Amazon's internet-connected security device. It triggers alerts when it detects motion in front of a home and allows live footage or recordings to be watched from afar.

"I could take the battery out of it if I wanted to, but I didn't feel like I could because he would say to me, 'You're compromising our children's safety'.

"I was worried that he would go to the police and try and suggest that I'm a bad mother."

Another explained how her partner used Amazon's virtual assistant to monitor her via a function that lets users remotely connect to enabled smart speakers and listen/speak via an intercom-like facility.

"He would set up all the accounts," says Sue, who is also using an alias.

"He would set up family-sharing on things. There were various Alexa devices all over the property.

"He could drop in from outside or he could go to someone's house and ring the Alexa when we were at home."

Abuse experienced by men also increased during the pandemic.

The Respect Men's Advice Line reports receiving 5,000 more calls during the start of the UK lockdown than in the same period the year before.

But women are still more likely to experience violence and harassment. Three-quarters of domestic abuse victims recorded by the police last year were female, according to the Office for National Statistics' latest figures."

Does The Corona Virus Impact Whether or Not Someone Reports DV?

"Officials: Crime Reports Affected By Corona-Virus Response."  Excerpts from this Article Include: "Stay-at-home orders stemming from the coronavirus response likely have affected the number of burglaries, auto thefts and domestic violence incidents reported in Shelby County and Memphis, officials said."

"Home burglaries dropped by 24% countywide, compared with the first quarter of 2019.

 “This may be attributable to a significant number of citizens staying at home in March,” the report said.

 Motor vehicle thefts increased 22% countywide in the first quarter. Vehicle thefts tend to rise when schools aren’t in session, officials said.

 Reports of domestic violence in the county in March were down 9% compared with the same month last year.

 Bill Gibbons, president of the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission, said domestic violence victims may feel it is “unsafe to call 911 with perpetrators remaining close by in the home and with no alternative places to go for safety.”

 “Even under difficult circumstances, victims should always try to safely seek help,” Gibbons said."

DV On the Streets During COVID-19: 

"Pregnant Woman, Baby Killed In Domestic Dispute, Police Say."

"Phoenix Man Kills Wife After She Reports Fight To Police."

"Man Charged With Killing Ex-Girlfriend, 3 Others."

"Police Reveal Details Regarding Shooting of Travis HS Coach Killed in Family-Related Dispute at Sports Complex in Rosenberg."

"Details Released in Shooting Death of Travis Highschool Football Coach."

Even the Helpers -- Those who work to Prevent DV, are having to do things differently:

"South Caroline Moved Domestic Violence Ceremony Online."

"Amid Pandemic, Mexico To Cut Funds To Domestic Violence Shelters."

Officials React to DV Crisis amid COVID-19 Crisis:

"UN Chief Urges End to Domestic Violence, Citing Global Surge." 

  "“For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes,” Gutteres said. “And so I make a new appeal today for peace at home — and in homes — around the world.”"

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