COVID-19 has become another weapon abusive partners are using to exert control, the research has found.(ABC News)

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The first national survey of domestic and family violence agencies and their clients has revealed fears of a “shadow pandemic” of violence during COVID-19 lockdowns were warranted.

 

Key points:

• More than two-thirds of service providers reported an increase in clients during the pandemic

• Domestic and family violence agencies also saw more clients reporting controlling behaviours

• Researchers say support agencies are often needed most when events such as lockdowns end

 

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Centre for Justice surveyed 362 domestic family violence (DFV) agencies and individuals across the country about their experiences from early June until the end of August last year.

 

Most service providers saw a surge in demand, and nearly half said their clients reported an increase in controlling behaviours.

 

“We can certainly say that there was a shadow pandemic in Australia in domestic family violence,” Kerry Carrington from QUT said.

“It wasn’t just an increase in numbers. It was also an increase in severity.”

 

The rest of this article can be read by clicking on the link above.

 

There is a different story coming from researchers in the UK. Read the full report at The Great Covid Domestic Abuse Epidemic That Never Was | The Illustrated Empathy Gap, http://empathygap.uk/?p=3867

William Collins, author of the blog empathygap.uk validly suggests there is no increase in DV against women during the Covid 19 pandemic. 32 police forces in England and Wales responded to his Freedom of Information requests and the resultant figures suggest, based on the overall index of Change for women victims that the number of reports were in the negative (-2.3%), whilst for male victims it was positive (+3.8%). The author concludes that these are only a “small deviation from expectation, but if there is a “Covid lockdown” enhancement of DV across England and Wales as a whole it applies only to male victims.”

Australia says more women will be victims of DV as a result of the Covid Lockdown, the findings from England and Wales Police forces suggest more men will be victims and there will be less women.

So why the difference?

Probably the methods of research and just who was asked for their views. Certainly, we as a leading Australian men’s organisation were not asked.

QUT Centre for Justice researchers chose to ask 362 domestic family violence (DFV) agencies and individuals, many of those having a particular vested interest in maintaining the status quo in order to hold onto the large amounts of funding they already receive or to increase the amounts depending how strongly they can coerce the White Knights in Parliament, who are only too willing put their hands in the taxpayers’ pocket to increase the level of funding on a claimed expectation. If it is shown, after the event, there was no increase in the DV level what happens to the funding? Is it returned or is it redirected to the increasing number of men who are experiencing domestic violence?

Every time there is a crisis, floods, fires, or drought in Australia, the calls for more funding to protect the expected increase in female domestic violence victims are heard loud and strong. But where is the proof. It will not be found by asking the opinion of those organisations who have a vested interested in maintaining the level of victims and increasing their funding.

Kind regards

Sue Price

Men’s Rights Agency

Mob: 0409 269 621

E: admin@mensrights.com.au

Web: www.mensrights.com.au