partner and, as the “Counting Dead Women” Project reported, in the first weeks of lockdown this nearly tripled. This type of outrageous crime did not just appear during the pandemic, it simply increased so significantly that it started being noticed by the wider public.
The Roots of Increased Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Lockdown:
Those working in support of survivors of domestic violence, as reported by the Guardian in an interview with a call handler from the domestic violence charity Solace, knew it was coming. They registered a surge of 25% in the number of calls to their helpline even before the lock down. This phenomenon is well documented; a significant social and economic crisis contributes to an increase in violence. Interestingly, it is not only domestic violence that tends to rise in times of crisis. Allport, in his landmark book ‘The nature of prejudice’, referred to research showing a rise in antisemitism in times of significant change, like post war. Previous cases of economic crisis and the Great Recession of 2008 also showed an increase in violence. Economic dependency and isolation, two main factors contributing to staying in an abusive relationship, might be even more prevalent during this pandemic. Losing a job contributes to an inability to live independently and of course lock down separates us all from support networks like family and friends or, in case of victims of domestic violence, refuge centres. A perpetrator’s feelings of hopelessness and decreased self-esteem caused by job loss or pay cut, may fuel the abuse as they tend to compensate for their insecurity with violence. It is not just economic pressure that fuels the abuse though, it is also opportunity. That is why the obvious factors of financial pressure and fear of or actual job loss are mere excuses. Abusers are abusers regardless of the external circumstances. But abusers often intensify the abuse when external circumstances enable it.
A Psychological Perspective by Sylwia Kieran
The abuse from an intimate partner increases when women get pregnant. Did you know this? I was shocked when I found that out a few years ago, when was training to become a volunteer for the Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre. Over the course of this training and in my subsequent work in the sexual violence sector I learned why. Women become more vulnerable for various reasons - their partner might be scared that worry about the baby will push women to leave the abusive relationship, women start to see specialists which might lead to them getting support they haven’t had before, perpetrators might be jealous they will no longer be the main focus of their partner’s attention, they might not want the baby or they might want the baby and feel more entitled to be in their partner’s life. A mosaic of reasons ending in violence. I wondered whether similar mechanisms play a part in the violence increase during the Covid-19 lockdown and I will explore what I have learned in this article. Domestic Abuse, as defined by the UK government, is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional. In the UK, two women every week are being killed by an intimate
What in the situation of a lockdown causes an abuser to be more abusive?
5
