Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives? An Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Ability of Victims of Gender-based Violence to Access Justice

Abstract

On 23 March 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) government introduced new measures aimed at reducing the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). These measures directed the closure of non-essential businesses and venues, prohibited all public gatherings of more than two people and required everyone to stay at home except for very limited purposes. The rationale behind the measures was clear: Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives. Within days of the lockdown coming into force, reports emerged within the media that services supporting victims of gender-based violence (GBV) were facing an unprecedented increase in demand for assistance, indicating that cases of abuse were on the rise. Although GBV is not caused by lockdown measures, evidence indicates that they may increase the incidence rate and/or the severity of GBV in households where it is already being perpetrated. These findings are in line with existing research which demonstrates that natural disasters, disease and other forms of conflict leave citizens (particularly women and girls) vulnerable to GBV. Preventing and responding to GBV in times of humanitarian crises is a vital but challenging endeavour. Whilst support services struggle to secure adequate resources and capacity, restrictions on leaving the house mean that victims face barriers to reporting abuse and seeking help. Within this context, this article will analyse the impact of Covid-19 on the ability of victims of GBV to access justice. The first part of this article will explore the role of GBV organisations in the UK, the impact of humanitarian crises on reported rates of GBV, and how GBV can be mitigated during the Covid-19 outbreak. The second part of the article examines the effectiveness of the response to the crisis from government and public sector agencies including Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the police. The third and final part of the article presents the findings of a UK wide study conducted by the authors into the impact of Covid-19 on GBV organisations and victims. Throughout the article, recommendations are made as to the ways in which GBV organisations could be more effectively supported to ensure justice for victims at this critical time.

Adapting Service Delivery during COVID-19: Experiences of Domestic Violence Practitioners

“…COVID-19 rapidly affected all aspects of social and economic life, generating new needs and risks and exacerbating inequalities. Evidence quickly accumulated showing the pandemic’s gendered impacts, including women’s increased domestic responsibility and mental load, escalation of violence against women at home, increased complexity of women’s needs, rising service demand and barriers to service use ( Alon et al , 2020 ; Kaukinen, 2020 ; Mahase, 2020 ; Raile et al 2020 ; Sharma and Borah, 2020 ; Speed et al , 2020 ; Usher et al , 2020 ). Even in Australia and New Zealand, where infections were comparatively low, public health measures, including temporary closures of businesses and schools and directives to stay home, hugely impacted individuals and families, and the service systems that support them.…”

Intimate Partner Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Phenomenon from Victims’ and Help Professionals’ Perspectives

“…The SAH policies were effective in limiting the spread of the virus but resulted in profound crises on several levels: public health, economic crisis, increased unemployment, and difficulties of forced cohabitation [11,12]; moreover, there has been an impact on society, which suffered from a lack of social support systems, and repercussions on, in particular, in intimate partner violence situations. This impact occurred both in new and in pre-existing IPV conditions [3,[13][14][15][16][17]. According to some authors, forced cohabitation with an abusive partner may exacerbate individual and social vulnerability and limit coping skills and reliance on support networks [4,18].…”

“…Moreover, substance abuse, isolation and financial strain have been shown to be IPV risk factors that may be intensified during a pandemic period, as these factors can increase loneliness, increase psychological and financial stress, and increase the use of negative coping strategies, such as substance abuse [2,4,18]. Concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, early data collected on a global scale suggest that as isolation measures take effect, there has been a significant increase in IPV episodes since 2019 [4,13,23] regarding both reports and access to support services and websites [1,3,16,18,24,25]. Disruption of the individual's social network during periods of quarantine and social distancing [16] may result in higher vulnerability for the victim and increased opportunities for the partner to commit violence [7,8].…”

“…Concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, early data collected on a global scale suggest that as isolation measures take effect, there has been a significant increase in IPV episodes since 2019 [4,13,23] regarding both reports and access to support services and websites [1,3,16,18,24,25]. Disruption of the individual's social network during periods of quarantine and social distancing [16] may result in higher vulnerability for the victim and increased opportunities for the partner to commit violence [7,8]. Nonetheless, it is not possible to simply assume that the pandemic is the cause of the increase in violence, as this may be misleading and represent a justification for the perpetrator.…”

Clinical Legal Education as an Effective Tool for Improving the Accessibility of Protective Injunctions for Victims of Domestic Abuse: A Case Study Example of the Models of Support Available at Northumbria University

“…The respondents to Speed et al's study highlighted the existence of physical barriers to seeking support where victims remained in the same home as their perpetrator. 38 In addition, they considered that as most victims are women, they were disproportionately more likely to take on physical and psychological burdens as caregivers, resulting in time barriers to accessing support. Ivendic et al found that whilst many support services had experienced a greater demand for their services, this was all driven by third party reporting/referrals, suggesting that under-reporting of domestic abuse was still present, particularly during periods of lockdown.…”