Stay Home, Stay Safe? The Impact of the COVID-19 Restrictions on the Prevalence, Nature, and Type of Reporter of Domestic Violence in the Netherlands

Abstract

Purpose Insecurities and social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 restrictions, may have elevated tensions at home, consequently increasing the risk of domestic violence. The present study aims to examine changes in the prevalence, nature, and type of reporter of domestic violence following the various restrictions implemented to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Netherlands. Methods All official domestic violence reports recorded by the 26 Dutch domestic violence agencies in 2019 and 2020 were collected and analyzed. Time-series forecasting analyses, using a SARIMAX model, were conducted to predict the trend of domestic violence reports during the first lockdown and to compare the predicted trend with the observed trend. Results The observed trend of the registered prevalence of domestic violence did not substantially differ from the predicted trend based on pre-pandemic data. Similarly, findings regarding the nature of domestic violence suggest no clear divergence of pre-pandemic trends during the lockdown period. Nonetheless, a shift was found from professional reporters (e.g., the police) to non-professional reporters (e.g., neighbors). Conclusions The prevalence of domestic violence reports in the Netherlands did not increase. However, the COVID-19 restrictions may have led citizens, especially neighbors, to detect domestic violence more often.

Theoretical Perspectives, Empirical Findings, and Policy Implications of Research on Femicide Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Beyond a Special Issue Introduction

“…With more granular data, we might have identified a shift in femicide patterns, from incidents involving former partners to those with current partners, maintaining a consistent overall number, a trend also observed in England and Wales (Abreu Minero & Nivette, 2023). Furthermore, detailed data, similar to those cited by Strang regarding police report analyses, could reveal that IPV increases were partly due to more neighbor reports, as seen in the Netherlands (Coomans et al, 2023). In both scenarios, such insights could bolster an opportunity-based interpretation of IPV and femicide trends during lockdowns, suggesting a reevaluation of the situational hypothesis’s dismissal.…”

Why Do Bystanders Report Intimate Partner Violence? Insights into Real-Life Reasoning from Those Who Actually Intervened

“…Most reports were filed by neighbors, highlighting their importance in providing informal social control in the context of IPV—a role that has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (Coomans et al, 2023). Due to their proximity, neighbors often directly witnessed IPV, which may increase their confidence to intervene and reduce the ambiguity of the situation (Nardi-Rodríguez et al, 2022; Nicksa, 2014).…”

“…The data collection was part of a larger project looking at the prevalence, severity, and type of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic (see Coomans et al, 2023). For the purpose of the current study, we included all reports that Safe at Home categorized as "intimate partner violence" 5 , that were reported between January 2019 and December 2020, and that were reported by bystanders.…”

Intimate Partner Abuse and Homicide During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Situational Action Theory Analysis

“…Consequently, victims may have been less able or inclined to seek professional help, particularly for less severe incidents. Victims were also isolated from friends and family who might have reported on their behalf, although this was compensated somewhat by neighbors, possibly in response to methods that were implemented to increase awareness and encourage reporting of IPA (Coomans et al, 2023;Eichelsheim et al, 2023;Ivandic et al, 2020;Miller et al, 2022;Perez-Vincent et al, 2020).…”

“…Partners were, by definition, isolated from external parties who might monitor IPA, both formally-for example, health or social services (Lausi et al, 2021;Pallansch et al, 2022)-and informally-for example, friends and family (Andrade et al, 2022;Canzi et al, 2021;Vergauwen et al, 2022). However, the more continuous presence of neighbors counterbalanced some of the reduction in external monitoring, as evidenced by an increase in third-party calls to IPA services (Coomans et al, 2023;Eichelsheim et al, 2023;Ivandic et al, 2020;Perez-Vincent et al, 2020), potentially amplified by measures encouraging monitoring and reporting.…”