Domestic Abuse During Covid-19

By Asha Shetler

During the stay-at-home orders mandated by Covid-19, many of us likely expected that domestic abuse cases would skyrocket. Instead, emergency calls related to domestic abuse dropped in some areas more than 50%. Why? It’s not because domestic abuse is declining (as we hoped) but rather that people feel more unsafe calling emergency numbers, since their abusers are always home with them. Once the stay-at-home orders are lifted, there may be a surge in domestic abuse calls at emergency call centers.

                One in four women and one in ten men experience domestic abuse, whether it’s sexual, psychological, physical, or emotional. Domestic abuse can hit communities of color harder than other communities, as many people in these communities are afraid to call the police on their abuser due to high rates of police brutality. In addition, many victims of domestic abuse may have lost their jobs during the pandemic and/or are financially dependent on their abuser. This makes leaving very hard. To make matters worse, many shelters have closed their doors to people in need, so even if the victim were to leave, they might not have anywhere to go. If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse, get help right away, and if you or someone you know has faced domestic abuse in the past, therapy can be very helpful in healing from these past traumas.

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy for a victim of abuse or an abuser, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212)-722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources: https://time.com/5928539/domestic-violence-covid-19/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2024046