Abstract
BackgroundGlobally, concerns have been raised that the priority implementation of public health measures in response to COVID-19 may have unintended negative impacts on a variety of other health and wellbeing factors, including violence. This study examined the impact of COVID-19 response measures on changes in violence against women and children (VAWC) service utilisation across European countries.MethodsA rapid assessment design was used to compile data including a survey distributed across WHO Europe Healthy Cities Networks and Violence Injury Prevention Focal Points in WHO European Region member states, and a scoping review of media reports, journal articles, and reports. Searches were conducted in English and Russian and covered the period between 1 January 2020 and 17 September 2020. Data extracted included: country; violence type; service sector; and change in service utilisation during COVID-19. All data pertained to the period during which COVID-19 related public health measures were implemented compared to a period before restrictions were in place.ResultsOverall, findings suggested that there was a median reported increase in VAWC service utilisation of approximately 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crucially, however, change in service utilisation differed across sectors. After categorising each estimate as reflecting an increase or decrease in VAWC service utilisation, there was a significant association between sector and change in service utilisation; the majority of NGO estimates (95.1%) showed an increase in utilisation, compared to 58.2% of law enforcement estimates and 42.9% of health and social care estimates.ConclusionsThe variation across sectors in changes in VAWC service utilisation has important implications for policymakers in the event of ongoing and future restrictions related to COVID-19, and more generally during other times of prolonged presence in the home. The increased global attention on VAWC during the pandemic should be used to drive forward the agenda on prevention, increase access to services, and implement better data collection mechanisms to ensure the momentum and increased focus on VAWC during the pandemic is not wasted.
Highlights
Concerns have been raised that the priority implementation of public health measures in response to COVID-19 may have unintended negative impacts on a variety of other health and wellbeing factors, including violence
After controlling for the type of comparison period used to calculate the percentage change in service utilisation during COVID-19, health and social service data was 17.23 times as likely to show a decrease compared to Non-government organisation (NGO) data, whilst law enforcement data was 9.69 times as likely to show a decrease (Table 1)
Change in service utilisation differed across sectors with the highest median increase in utilisation for NGOs (48%), a relatively small median increase for law enforcement services (6%), and a small decrease for health and social services (-8%)
Summary
Concerns have been raised that the priority implementation of public health measures in response to COVID-19 may have unintended negative impacts on a variety of other health and wellbeing factors, including violence. With no population immunity, available vaccine, or effective treatment for COVID-19, countries implemented various public health policies to limit exposure and manage population risk Amongst measures such as contact tracing, physical distancing, face masks, and hygiene protocols, more stringent restrictions were put in place by many European countries from March 2020 including school and workplace closures, bans on public gatherings, and stay-at-home requirements [2]. Whilst such measures were intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19, concerns were raised about the potential for restrictions on movements to negatively impact other aspects of health and wellbeing. Whilst violence in public spaces was predicted to decrease as a result of stay-at-home orders and the closure of night-time economies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders working in the field of violence prevention warned of the risk of a ‘shadow pandemic’, where such measures compounded existing violence and abuse in private settings, such as the home, and exacerbated risk factors for already vulnerable individuals, women and children [3,4,5,6,7]
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