Domestic Violence and COVID-19: The 2020 Lockdown in the European Union

Description

This brief maps the available data augmented by expert interviews on the impact of the Covid-19 measures on DV in eight European Member States during the first lock-down. The volume addresses an on-going situation, additionally complicated by renewed lockdown restrictions during autumn and early winter 2020. It assesses the assumptions of an imminent wave of domestic violence against reliable data from crime statistics, surveys, and various institutions responding to domestic violence. Collecting partner country reports from Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Scotland and Slovenia, it demonstrates the effects that lockdown measures starting March 2020 had on reported DV incidents. It considers the differences between each country with respect to policing, legal systems, social and cultural factors and highlights best practices to prevent conditions resulting from Covid-19 lockdown undermining victims’ security and frontline responders’ capacities to provide services and prevent domestic violence. Preliminary Remark Acknowledegement Contents Abbreviations Domestic Violence and COVID-19 Lockdowns: A Shadow Pandemic? 1 Comparative Trends of Domestic Violence in the Partner Countries 2 Factors Assumed to Affect Domestic Violence Occurrence During COVID-19-Related Lockdowns 2.1 Individual Level 2.2 Organisational Level 2.3 Societal Level Austria 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police Sector 2.2 Social Sector 2.3 Medical Sector 3 Survey Data 4 Media Reporting 5 Policy Development 6 Expert Opinions Finland 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police Sector 2.2 Social Sector 2.3 Medical Sector 3 Media Reporting 4 Expert Opinions France 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police Sector 2.2 Medical Sector 2.3 Social Sector 3 Media Reporting 4 Expert Opinions Germany 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police Sector 2.2 Social Sector 2.3 Medical Sector 3 Survey Data 4 Media Reporting 5 Policy Development 6 Expert Opinions Hungary 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police 2.2 Social Sector 2.3 Medical Sector 3 Media Reporting 4 Policy Development 5 Expert Opinions Portugal 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police Sector 2.2 Social Sector 3 Media Reporting 4 Policy Development 5 Expert Opinions Scotland 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police 2.2 The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse (DSDAS) 2.3 Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) 2.4 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) 2.5 Support Organisations and NGOs 2.6 Health Services 3 Survey Data 4 Media Reporting 5 Policy Development 5.1 COVID-19 and Domestic Abuse Policy and Practice Guidance Slovenia 1 COVID-19 Measures 2 Official Statistics 2.1 Police Sector 2.2 Calls Police Received 2.3 Number of Domestic violence Crime Reports 2.4 Social Sector 2.5 Medical Sector 3 Survey Data 4 Media Reporting 4.1 Policy Development 4.2 Economic and Social Policy Measures 5 Expert Opinions Key Findings, Best Practices and Recommendations 1 Key Findings 1.1 The Differential Impact of COVID 1.2 Data Inconsistencies 1.3 Impact on Criminal Justice 1.4 Helplines and Shelters 1.5 Medical Sector 1.6 Policy Developments 1.7 Media 2 Challenges and Best Practices 3 Recommendations References Index