The pandemic paved a new avenue of danger for victims of domestic abuse, with isolation putting them in close contact with their abusers for long periods of time.
Domestic violence increased by 8% nationwide according to the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice. Factors commonly associated with domestic abuse such as unemployment, financial loss and childcare were exacerbated by the pandemic.
“There are significant increases in the intensity of the violence since the pandemic began,” said Mindy Murphy, president of The Spring of Tampa Bay. “The potential for severe injury has become greater.”
Lisa Rapp-McCall, a professor of social work at Saint Leo University, said the two major escalators for domestic violence are firearms and alcohol.
Firearm background checks increased dramatically during the pandemic according to the FBI’s NICS database. Researchers at the University of Southern California also reported a 34% increase in the sale of alcoholic beverages compared to last year.
“So when people drink, inhibition goes down and violence rises,” said Rapp-McCall. “When we have firearms in the picture, a hit or slap can become a gunshot wound and fatal.”
