Face of Nation International : A new survey of domestic and family violence (DFV) services across New South Wales has found that initial concerns over the impact of coronavirus on the sector are already playing out in an “unprecedented” way.
The report, from Women’s Safety NSW, shows there has already been a dramatic increase in both the demand and complexity of DFV cases.
The organisation surveyed 80 frontline workers, coordinators and service providers from metropolitan and regional parts of the state, to see how the virus is affecting DFV support provision — and what measures are urgently needed.
More than 40 per cent of respondents reported that they’re already experienced an increase in client numbers since the outbreak of COVID-19. Many others said they expected to see a similar increase in the near future.
“It’s going to be massive, there’s no two ways about it. We’re already seeing the start of it, but it’s only going to get worse,” Women’s Safety NSW CEO Hayley Foster told The Drum. Of those surveyed, more than a third said women were reporting situations of violence and abuse related specifically to coronavirus. These included growing financial and other pressures.
“We know [domestic violence] is characterised by coercive control: by isolating, monitoring, surveilling their partners,” Ms Foster explains. (Source: ABC News – Australia)
