Comparing 911 and emergency hotline calls for domestic violence in seven cities: What happened when people started staying home due to COVID-19?

Abstract

Stay-at-home orders issued across the globe in response to the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about increased domestic violence (DV). Theory and limited early evidence support this possibility, and in the United States, police agencies have reported increases in DV calls during the pandemic. However, DV-serving agencies have reported decreases in contacts suggesting possible underreporting. We compare trends from 911 calls and DV hotline calls/texts in seven cities before and after the start of the pandemic.