Domestic violence in Val Camonica: survey on the accesses to the emergency deparment in the period post Covid-19

Abstract

The lock-down due to COVID-19 has caused hard times to everybody, but especially for women victim of domestic violence, locked up in their own home with violent partners. To describe how and to what extent the lockdown caused by the first wave of COVID-19 influenced the domestic violence in Val Camonica. Using the informatic system of the Esine Emergency Department, accesses for domestic, psychological and/or physical violence in the years 2017-2020 were analyzed. In 2020, following the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in the observed accesses for domestic violence and aggressions displayed during violent episodes was. As in previous years, women victims of domestic violence were between 30 and 40 years old and of Italian nationality; men were also victims of domestic violence. Also in Val Camonica violence against women is a widespread phenomenon. For this reason the Valcamonica local Authorities are taking action to expand the available network service.