by Claire Sams
Key Points
- Researchers have found the rates of domestic violence increased during early 2020 as the COVID–19 pandemic began
- Some women’s ability to report the abuse may have been restricted by COVID–19, leading to the reported lack increase in crime data for domestic violence
A recent report shows almost one–in–ten Australian women experienced domestic violence during the early months of the pandemic.
Researchers with the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) surveyed fifteen thousand Australian women in May, asking about their experiences of domestic violence between February and May.
“The aim was to measure the prevalence of violence since the beginning of February 2020, when COVID-19 first started impacting Australia,” the report reads.
What does the report say?
The report, released Monday, found half of the women surveyed (53.1%) reported an increase in the “frequency or severity of ongoing violence or abuse” from a current or former cohabiting partner.
Between February and May, one–in–three (33.1%) women experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner for the first time since the pandemic began.
source: The prevalence of domestic violence among women during the COVID–19 pandemic, by Hayley Boxall, Anthony Morgan and Rick Brown (page twelve)
Additionally, more than half of the women reported the beginning or increase of “emotionally abusive, harassing or controlling behaviour,” while one–in–twenty (4.6%) experienced physical or sexual violence.
Over half (58.1%) of women who experienced both physical or sexual violence and “coercive control” from a current or former partner reported that, on at least one occasion, “safety concerns” prevented them from asking for support.
What does these results mean?
Karen Willis, the Executive Officer at Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia told the ABC the findings highlighted Australia’s existing violence against women.
When the COVID–19 pandemic began, following bushfires and drought, Willis foresaw an inevitable and “considerable increase in sexual, domestic and family violence.”
“[We] expected it, it’s horrendous. But I must say the numbers in this research […] it’s sort of hard to describe how horrendous that must be for so many women and kids”
(quote by Willis)
While police data showed no large upswing in domestic violence reports, the report shows rates of domestic violence didn’t remain stable during the pandemic.
The researchers suggest that “safety concerns” prevented some women from contacting police or other support services, helping to explain the stable police data.
Wills says that the lowered number women reporting domestic abuse could be because women were prevented from being able to “get out to make those reports” to police.
The report concludes that while “cause–effect relationships” could not be identified, the increase in domestic violence was likely because of a combination of increased time at home, social isolation and financial stresses from COVID–19.
Support can be found at 1800 RESPECT, Australia’s national family violence and sexual assault counselling service.