Domestic Violence During COVID-19: It’s Time to Talk About It

By Ron Fisher
Associate Director of Pastoral Care

In our continued series around awareness, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In my over 10 years of meeting with individuals and couples at Christ Church, I am thankful to say that this is not something that I see a lot, but considering the national numbers, I’ve often wondered if people are seeking the assistance they need, or are they just not presenting it to the church?

In the past year, the pandemic has brought on an increase of domestic violence reports. In a Times.com article, Domestic Violence Is a Pandemic Within the COVID-19 Pandemic, it cites that, “Surveys around the world have shown domestic abuse spiking since January of 2020—jumping markedly year over year compared to the same period in 2019. According to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine and the United Nations group U.N. Women, when the pandemic began, incidents of domestic violence increased 300% in Hubei, China; 25% in Argentina, 30% in Cyprus, 33% in Singapore and 50% in Brazil.

In the U.S., the situation is equally troubling, with police departments reporting increases in cities around the country: for example, 18% in San Antonio, 22% in Portland, Ore.; and 10% in New York City, according to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. One study in the journal Radiology reports that at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, radiology scans and superficial wounds consistent with domestic abuse from March 11 to May 3 of this year exceeded the totals for the same period in 2018 and 2019 combined.”

What do you do if someone you know, or if you find yourself, in a domestic violence situation?

Here is an informative article from Focus on the Family.
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/coronavirus-and-domestic-violence/

Other resources: https://nrcdv.org/DV-safety-tips