Los Angeles Domestic Violence Hotline Calls Double Since Shutdown

Calls to domestic violence hotlines are spiking as a result of the current pandemic and the related restrictions.  California was one of the earliest locations in the United States to shut down, and Los Angeles County now reports that calls to the county’s domestic violence hotline have more than doubled since the virus hit. 

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Pro Tem, Hilda Solis reported today that calls to the county’s domestic violence hotline have climbed dramatically. “Average calls from the beginning of 2020 until the safer at home order averaged about 100 to 150 calls per week. Since the safer at home order, calls have been on the rise,” Solis reported in today’s county press conference. “For the last three weeks, there have been over 300 calls each week, and last week we saw a spike of 350 calls,” she added.  

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the increase in domestic violence calls in his state “frightening.” Calls to New York’s domestic violence hotline rose by 30% in April, compared to April last year. In March, New York state police received 15% more domestic-violence incident calls than they had in March of last year.

An additional 15 million cases of domestic violence are expected worldwide due to the lockdown according to calculations from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). These calculations assume there will be a 20% increase in violence during an average three-month lockdown in all 193 UN member states, and take into account that many cases will not be reported. 

Both Solis and Cuomo urged victims of domestic violence to reach out for help. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy.  Especially in lockdown situations, victims don’t have the freedom to call a hotline without being overheard by their assailant. Codeword projects have popped up throughout the world to provide victims the ability to get help without tipping off the abuser. For example, in several countries, victims can obtain help by walking into a pharmacy and simply asking for a “mask 19.” Ostensibly, the pharmacist will recognize the code and call the appropriate authorities.

There are several contributing factors that have led to the increase in domestic violence over the last few months.  Isolation, for example, is a technique implemented by abusers even in normal times. By isolating victims away from their friends and family, assailants can control a victim’s entire environment and make it nearly impossible for the victim to obtain help. Now that isolation has been encouraged or enforced by many governments, we have a situation that is even worse for victims.

As an example of how abusers can control a victim’s environment, Crystal Justice, the National Domestic Violence Hotline chief development and marketing officer told Vice, “people have said their abusers are cutting them off from tools they can use to ward off COVID-19, like hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, and showers. Abusers have also lied to their victims and told them that coronavirus restrictions prohibit them from leaving their house or going to a grocery store.” This level of control makes it difficult to escape the violence.

In addition to isolation, increased stress from both the virus and the economic downturn also likely contribute to the uptick in domestic violence. The recession of 2008 was linked to an increase in domestic violence and the current economic downturn is far more severe than that of 2008. There have also been reports of increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, and alcohol consumption may also be a contributor to domestic violence.

As many locations emerge from shutdown, hopefully the numbers will begin to decrease. Victims can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Those who cannot speak safely can text LOVEIS to 22522.