COVID-19 Leaves Domestic Violence Survivors in the Shadows

Prof. Carrie Bettinger-Lopez sends along this two-part post from her student Amanda Suarez, a second-year law student at the University of Miami School of Law and legal intern at the Miami Law Human Rights Clinic.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken the world by storm. There are well over a million cases in the world as of the writing of this article and the number is expected to grow significantly. Countries everywhere are scrambling to get much needed medical equipment, save the failing economy, and enforce policies that require social distancing. In all of the commotion, domestic violence organizations are facing significant obstacles and harms. UN Women has referred to this pressing problem as the “shadow pandemic” and the UN Secretary-General has pointed to the implications this issue has on human rights. Although many articles have been written about the effects that social distancing measures have on domestic violence survivors, not many countries have taken concrete action to combat the problem. For organizations that provide services for domestic violence survivors, their struggles are largely overlooked and unreported. 

COVID-19’s Effect on Domestic Violence Survivors

Most states across the country have implemented social distancing measures that confine individuals to their homes except for essential needs. Confinement of this type can lead to increased tensions within the home due to worries about security, health, and finances. For survivors of domestic violence, confinement means separation from support networks like social service organizations and friends and family. It also means that abusers may be confined to the home for the entirety of the day, leaving numerous opportunities for violence to occur.

Social distancing measures put in place by COVID-19 make it extremely hard for many survivors of domestic violence to get the services that they need. Many women who experience domestic violence do not seek help from law enforcement but turn to social service organizations or family members instead. The current pandemic makes reaching out for help even more difficult for a variety of reasons. First, domestic violence survivors may have a lack of privacy in the home due to their abusers being there all the time. It may be difficult for them to find a safe space to talk to providers or call for help. Moreover, abusers have access to survivors’ texts and call logs, which could frighten some survivors from trying to get help at all. Additionally, survivors may not be able to access services provided by organizations due to a lack of access to technology. Most organizations have moved to online platforms to provide services, and some survivors may not have access to a computer or smartphone that has the capability to use the platforms being used. Due to financial strain, many families may also have to choose which bills to pay, and some survivors may not have access to a phone at all. These disruptions can have detrimental effects on the care and support that survivors need to survive.

Moreover, the stressors from COVID-19 can fuel the abuser’s violent behaviors. The National Domestic Violence Hotline has reported that they have received a growing number of calls from survivors saying that abusers are using the virus as a way to isolate them from friends and family. They have also received calls stating that abusers are threatening to leave survivors out on the street so that they contract the virus, and that abusers are withholding financial and medical assistance. Additionally, gun stores in the United States have been labeled as essential businesses, and gun and ammunition sales have spiked. An abuser having access to a gun makes it five times more likely for the survivor to be killed.  Already, firearms are used to commit more than half of all intimate partner homicides in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate this violence and put domestic violence survivors in imminent danger.

Editors' Note:  Tomorrow's post will address the impact on survivor service agencies with recommendations for going forward.