The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Domestic and Family Violence Services and Clients, Australia

Abstract

Gender inequality is a driver of domestic and family violence (DFV), and ill-health and homicide are some of the consequences of such violence (United Nations, 2015). In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian healthcare and women’s safety professionals predicted an “impending increase” in domestic violence (Foster, 2020; Hegarty & Tarzia, 2020). Advocates also reported concerns about increased complexities and challenges in assisting victims/survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic (Foster, 2020). On the strength of these concerns, a research team from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Centre for Justice conducted a nationwide survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the DFV workforce and their clients. This briefing paper provides an overview of the findings based on survey data from 362 participants from the DFV sector, including 1,507 qualitative responses.