Domestic violence increasing amid coronavirus pandemic, just as experts predicted: report

The report, released on Wednesday by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (CCJ), analyzed the results of 18 studies that examined the frequency of domestic violence reports both before and during the pandemic, using data collected by law enforcement agencies, health agencies, domestic violence hotlines, and “other administrative documents,” according to a press release.

The CCJ found that incidents of domestic violence increased 8.1% in the U.S. after lockdown orders were issued —  though the actual percentage is likely higher, seeing as more incidents may be happening behind closed doors during stay-at-home orders. What’s more, any friends or family who may have otherwise reported such incidents were likely separated from the victims, or not around to witness them. "Our analysis confirms the initial fears we had at the outset of the pandemic," said Alex R. Piquero, the report’s lead author and chair of the University of Miami Department of Sociology, in a news release.