Encountering and Identifying Different Forms of Domestic Violence in Shelters and Community Care Services in Finland During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions such as lockdowns and social distancing have been used to control coronavirus. These restrictions may increase the risk of domestic violence (DV) and discourage victims from getting help. We examined the consequences that the pandemic had on different forms of DV and different victim groups of DV. An online survey of shelter clients (N = 47), interviews with clients in community care services (N = 2), and eight focus group interviews with professionals (N = 27) working in shelters and community care services were used for data. We used a mixed-methods approach in the analysis, which showed that clients in shelters reported more violence during the pandemic than prepandemic. Psychological, controlling, and financial violence increased the most during the pandemic, according to the survey data. Coercive control was the most visible type of violence from the perspective of three vulnerable groups: intimate partners, children, and migrants. The research findings will help us arrange services to identify and better manage pandemic lockdown-associated violence.