More Domestic Violence During the Pandemic

Issue in the spotlight on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Violence against partners and children is a major problem in our society. During the pandemic, existing challenges for those affected and the support system became even more pronounced. Taking the federal state of Baden-Württemberg as an example, a research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg, Germany, in cooperation with the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Freiburg, has investigated this issue. The researchers have now published preliminary results on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, initiated by the United Nations.

For the study, the Freiburg-based research group “Space, Context and Crime” looked into police data on domestic violence cases from 2018 to 2021. According to this data, cases of domestic violence rose continuously during the first lockdown. Conversely, the number of police deployments fell steadily and significantly as soon as restrictions were eased and over the summer.

While the second lockdown did see another upward trend, this did not abate when restrictions were eased – unlike after the first lockdown –, but continued. Overall, the level of cases after the second lockdown was significantly higher than before the pandemic. According to research group leader Dietrich Oberwittler, it is difficult to assess the extent to which these figures are related to the consequences of the pandemic based on police data alone. “The increase could also be related to the Baden-Württemberg police force having deployed additional specialist resources in their response to domestic violence,” the sociologist points out. He also notes that similarly marked fluctuations could also be witnessed before the pandemic.

 

Aggressors permanently at home

The results of surveys conducted in support centers, which the research team carried out using so-called qualitative interviews, are therefore of more interest and paint a somewhat more differentiated picture of the situation. These surveys included employees of counseling centers for victims of sexual violence, counseling centers for victims of domestic violence, women’s refuges, the youth welfare office, and social workers in schools.

These interview partners report that the number of enquiries dropped abruptly with the introduction of the first lockdown. They suspect that victims had fewer opportunities to contact the counseling centers as they were forced to spend significantly more time with their “aggressor”; many talked about a “permanent presence” due to furlough schemes, working from home, or simply because they were isolated from their social networks due to lockdown and contact restrictions. They also lost other ways of accessing the support system, such as contact with professionals in schools or childcare centers, during this time.

 

Financial problems aggravate psychological burden

With the first easing of restrictions, the number of enquiries rose again significantly, the respondents added. Some persons seeking help had even more frequent contact with support services during this phase than before the pandemic, which is partly due to the fact that problems had accumulated. For example, they now had financial issues in addition to psychological problems.

The second lockdown saw another slight decrease in enquiries, but the trend was not as marked as during the first lockdown. Most clients who made contact with support centers had already been affected by violence before the pandemic. In general, there were no “new” cases; rather, dynamics had changed and cases had escalated.

It will take some time for the true extent of violence during the pandemic to become visible, making it possible to address it. This is a point all respondents agreed on at the time of the interview. “What we can already tell from the experiences reported to date is that the pandemic sharply exacerbated the psychological burden on those affected by violence,“ says Natalie Gehringer, who is currently working on her doctorate as part of the research group.

 

What is needed going forward?

Reliable and long-term funding is required, particularly for non-governmental support organizations, to provide those affected with the support they need. This is another point respondents agreed on. “We need comprehensive prevention programs, awareness-raising, and education, a strengthening of rural areas, programs for perpetrators, and stable cooperation networks to combat violence against women,” explains Natalie Gehringer.

The study shows: While support centers were able to respond quickly and flexibly to the new circumstances during the pandemic, for example by introducing telephone and online counseling, they often had to organize this independently and apply for funds, which resulted in a considerable amount of additional work and a high workload and level of stress for employees.

The respondents from the support centers hope and expect that an increasing awareness of domestic violence in society will lead to more and more women daring to seek help. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25 can contribute to this. The researchers at the Max Planck Institute are of the opinion that politicians also need to step up to the plate. “One thing our study highlights is that there is a great need for support and that the state needs to underpin the support network to enable it to live up to its responsibilities,” says Dietrich Oberwittler.

The long-awaited draft for an anti-violence law presented a few days ago by the Minister for Family Affairs, Lisa Paus, hangs in the balance. It provides for long-term financial support for support organizations from the federal government, and a legal right to protection and counseling in cases of domestic violence. It remains to be seen if the bill will still be implemented during the remainder of the current government’s term of office.