Domestic Abuse Victims Are Terrified of Staying Home
The calls to self-quarantine can place some in imminent danger
As the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic has been realized, calls for Americans to practice social distancing and self-quarantine have increased. The long-lasting social and financial ramifications of these necessary precautions remain unclear. But for the one in four women and one in nine men who experience intimate partner violence, the consequences are immediate: Staying home means staying in an unsafe, potentially deadly environment.
In the United States, an act of domestic violence occurs every 15 seconds, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Four women lose their lives every day as a result. Black women, in particular, are at a higher risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. Black women are two and a half times more likely to experience physical or sexual violence from a partner or spouse and three times more likely to die as a result. Domestic violence is among the leading causes of death for Black women ages 15 to 35.
The minimal resources victims had prior to the onslaught of a global pandemic have now been limited in the name of public health. There are already reports of surging domestic violence cases in the midst of the pandemic.
