Domestic violence experts and advocates across the globe have projected the issue has and will worsen during the coronavirus crisis as people are forced to stay home with abusers.

Many have seen an increase in calls for help and reports being made from victims. Agencies that have seen a drop in calls fear this indicates more abuse is occurring with less freedom to request help.

On top of economic hardships, some victims have been hesitant to seek medical care and feel forced to choose between leaving an abusive home or risking exposure to the virus.

Some government officials have tried to curb the rising problem, with Greenland banning alcohol and Spain making exceptions to stay-at-home orders for those seeking help.

Domestic Violence Numbers Rising

As the coronavirus prompts stay-at-home orders around the world and forces more and more people indoors, an increase of another deadly force is being seen: domestic violence.

Reports from all over the world indicate these incidents are on the rise, a phenomenon that has been seen before in the wake of other emergency crises.

“The very technique we are using to protect people from the virus can perversely impact victims of domestic violence,” Anita Bhatia, the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Women told TIME.

In Hubei, where the coronavirus originated, reports of domestic violence to law enforcement tripled in one county alone during a February lockdown, from 47 last year to 162 this year, according to what activists told local media outlets.

“According to our statistics, 90% of the causes of violence [in this period] are related to the Covid-19 epidemic,” Wan Fei, a retired police officer who founded a charity to combat abuse, told Sixth Tone website.

A sinister pattern appears to be forming as the coronavirus continues its global spread.

A Brazilian judge specializing in domestic violence speculated that it has increased by up to 50% due to coronavirus-related restrictions. Hotlines in Spain have reported a spike in the number of calls.

Since Lockdown:

Domestic Abuse up 32% in Paris, 40% in Australia

Similar increases everywhere



If you’re a victim:

Police will always attend your home

A place of safety will be found

Legal steps taken to protect you



The pandemic will not stop the epidemic of abuse

We all will — nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) March 27, 2020

Similar reports have been seen in the United States as well. Officials at an abuse shelter in Charlottesville, North Carolina said their calls for domestic incidents have shot up by 40%. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Sgt. Scott Evett reinforced this notion, saying the department is “looking at a 17 percent increase” in their domestic violence calls.

Many more helplines have reported spikes like these.

“We know that when there’s added stress in the home it can increase the frequency and severity of abuse. We’re trying to prepare survivors for that,” Katie Ray-Jones, chief executive of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, told the Washington Post. “There is a lot of uncertainty about what is even possible right now — if you need to call the police, what does that look like?”

Some police forces have actually seen a drop in domestic violence calls recently, but fear this is an indication that victims are being abused in silence, with less freedom and space from their abuser to report crimes.

Law enforcement agencies are sending out messages reminding people how to trigger silent alerts.

Are you worried about being at home with your partner during #CoronaLockdown?



You aren’t alone, we are here to help and we will come to you.



In an emergency, always dial 9️⃣9️⃣9️⃣.



For silent help, dial 9️⃣9️⃣9️⃣ and then press 5️⃣5️⃣.



^cy pic.twitter.com/9i29hiaebg — South Wales Police | #StayHomeSaveLives (@swpolice) March 29, 2020

Activists in Italy said they have seen a sharp drop in calls but an influx of requests for help through texts and emails, which can sometimes be sent with more discretion.

“One message was from a woman who had locked herself in the bathroom and wrote to ask for help,” Lella Palladino, who is with an activists’ group for the prevention of violence against women, told the Guardian. “For sure there is an overwhelming emergency right now. There is more desperation as women can’t go out.”

In addition to contributing to an increase in domestic violence, the pandemic is hindering victims’ access to services meant to help them. Some might not leave their abusers because they fear violating stay-at-home orders or risking exposure to COVID-19 in public spaces.

“Maybe their child has special needs or medical needs and they don’t want to be in a group setting, so they’re choosing not to go to a shelter because the risk of their child being infected by the virus is higher than their risk of physical violence, so they’ll manage the risk of staying home through this,” Maureen Curtis, vice president of a victims’ assistance association in New York, told the Washington Post.

Other victims have expressed similar fears, reporting that they haven’t sought medical care for fear of being exposed to the virus in facilities, even after suffering injuries from domestic violence.

Job layoffs and economic hardships also present challenges, as domestic violence victims have a harder time leaving if they are financially dependent on their abuser.

Responses to Spikes

Advocates across the globe are trying to address the added challenges that have risen for those vulnerable to and suffering from domestic violence.

Spain is one of the countries that has been hit hardest by the coronavirus and authorities have been taking their stay-at-home orders extremely seriously, issuing fines to those that violate them by going out. But the government has told women that they will not be penalized for leaving their homes to report abuse.

Katrin Göring-Eckardt, the German Green party’s parliamentary leader, is pushing for the same exceptions in her country. She is also urging the government to allocate money for safe houses where victims can retreat to, suggesting empty hotels be used for this measure.

An Italian prosecutor has ruled that if domestic violence is found in a home, the abuser must leave, not the victim.

Twenty-four U.S. senators — including presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — wrote a letter to officials at the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Justice in a push to protect domestic violence victims and survivors. The senators requested that organizations set up to help domestic violence victims “have the flexibility, resources, and information needed to continue to provide these critical services during the pandemic.”

Greenland has taken a unique approach in its effort to help those affected by domestic abuse. After the country closed down its schools, forcing children indoors for longer periods of time, it saw a worrisome spike in these numbers, according to the government.

“Unfortunately, in Nuuk, domestic violence has been on the rise in recent weeks,” Health Minister Martha Abelsen said.

Greenland’s government announced a ban on the sale of alcohol in the capital city of Nuuk in an effort to curb violence against children as families are required to shelter in. The World Health Organization has found evidence that alcohol consumption ups the frequency and severity of domestic violence.

“In such a situation, we have to take numerous measures to avoid infection,” government leader Kim Kielsen said in a statement on Saturday. “But at the heart of my decision is the protection of children, they have to have a safe home.”

See what others are saying: (Guardian) (BBC) (Washington Post)