Verified by 
Coronavirus Disease 2019
Why COVID-19 Has Led to a Rise in Intimate Partner Violence
A global surge in intimate partner violence is likely due, in part, to lockdown.
Posted March 11, 2021 Reviewed by Devon Frye
Practically every person on this earth has spent the past year in various stages of lockdown due to the rapid onslaught of the COVID-19 virus. The virus has affected every one of us to varying degrees—emotionally, physically, and financially—not to mention the significant percentage of our global population that fought valiantly, but regrettably succumbed to the unyielding cruelty of this coronavirus, which has taken the lives of our friends and loved ones.
COVID-19 cases surged in the United States starting in March 2020, leading to stringent national, state, and local stay-at-home orders that we haven’t experienced since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Most of the nation’s employees apart from those considered “essential” were forced to work remotely from home with little to no advanced notice; disappointingly, many others were furloughed, laid off, or simply let go due to widespread business closures. Childcare centers, K-12 schools, and colleges/universities moved to hybrid or remote learning with graduations, proms, and all sporting events canceled.
There’s no denying that it’s been among our nation’s most challenging years. Understandably, depression and anxiety rates have skyrocketed among children and adults, all of whom are simply trying to navigate the so-called “new normal” while coping with so many unknowns and uncertainties as to what the future holds.
The stay-at-home orders, which were obviously intended to protect public health and prevent further widespread infection rates to escalate, have led to a significant increase in acts of violence within the home. Since the outbreak, emerging data and reports have consistently shown that all types of violence have been on the rise, particularly against women and girls.
More specifically, rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) have intensified globally. UN Women, an international organization, has dubbed this outcome the “shadow pandemic,” in which victims are literally trapped in their homes with their abusers with no physical access to family, friends, or any viable support services. Because the lockdown has placed considerable limitations on our physical movements, it has become more difficult for victims to escape—and much easier for friends, family members, coworkers, teachers, professors, and medical professionals to miss the telltale signs that something is wrong.
"Intimate partner violence" is a more inclusive term than the former term of "domestic violence." Intimate partner violence is a form of abuse aimed at gaining power or control over another. It can include physical, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse, or more likely, a combination of all the above. A March 2021 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that 1 in 3 women—which equates to approximately 736 million females worldwide—and 1 in 10 men are victims of IPV, and that the violence directed toward victims can take on many forms. And yes, men can be victims of IPV, as discussed in my 2014 article, "Breaking Down Barriers: New Research Suggests Women Are Just as Likely as Men to be Perpetrators of Domestic Violence."
Intimate partner violence transcends all demographic categories. Victims can be of any race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, and religion to name a few. Intimate partner violence occurs in same-sex couples at rates equal to or even higher than the rates in opposite-sex partners. However, communities of color and other marginalized groups are disproportionately more likely to be the victims of IPV according to data published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is primarily attributed to economic instability, unsafe housing; neighborhood violence; and a lack of safe, stable childcare and social support that may exist within many marginalized groups. Most victims do not seek help—and without the intervention of mandated reporters such as teachers, professors, coworkers, and medical personnel, there is no way of genuinely knowing the extent of IPV victimization.
I must emphasize that COVID did not create IPV abusers but rather worsened the conditions in which IPV thrives, creating the perfect storm. Lockdowns prevent victims from leaving their homes, but they also prevent abusers from leaving the home. According to a February 2021 investigative report, journalist Jeffrey Kluger noted, “when the pandemic began, incidents of domestic violence increased 300 percent in Hubei, China; 25 percent in Argentina, 30 percent in Cyprus, 33 percent in Singapore, and 50 percent in Brazil. In the U.S., the situation is equally troubling, with police departments reporting increases in cities around the country.”
If you, or someone you know, is at risk of IPV, please call one of the numbers below:
Child Help National Child Abuse Hotline: Visit their website or call 1-800-422-4453)
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Futures Without Violence: Visit their website.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: Visit their website, text LOVEIS to 22522, or call 1-800-799-7233.
National Parent Helpline: Visit their website or call 1-855-427-2736
