Spike in Domestic Violence
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Millions across the globe have now spent weeks confined in the house together with nowhere to go.
Many are still trying to work from home, many are out of work due to the COVID-19 restrictions, and many are balancing homeschooling in addition to full-time jobs.
All in all, the current pandemic is seeing a dramatic increase in domestic violence charges and arrests.
NPR recently discussed this serious issue and found, “An average of 24 Americans per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. That's more than 12 million women and men over the course of a year.”
Another NPR story featured this abuse across the globe with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres citing a sharp rise in domestic violence amid global coronavirus lockdowns, calling on governments around the world to make addressing the issue a key part of their response to the pandemic.
"We know lockdowns and quarantines are essential to suppressing COVID-19, but they can trap women with abusive partners," Guterres said. "Over the past weeks, as the economic and social pressures and fear have grown, we have seen a horrifying surge in domestic violence."
No matter where you live, no one should feel threatened or unsafe in their own home. Ohio laws are very strict when it comes to domestic abuse and even a threat of violence without physical contact is considered grounds for an arrest.
