INDIANAPOLIS – Isolating yourself because of the coronavirus outbreak may increase the hazards of domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Network executive director Kelly McBride says it’s not so much that being in close contact 24/7 makes an abuser lash out. It’s that the effects of self-quarantining can aggravate the tendencies that make someone abusive in the first place. She notes domestic violence is driven by a desire for control, and the pandemic may leave abusers feeling they don’t have it.
McBride says China reported an increase in calls for help for domestic abuse as the virus outbreak spread there. She says there’s some signs of a similar pattern in California and New York, but it’s too soon to tell.
And while McBride says domestic violence shelters remain open, the pandemic may make it harder for victims to get there.