COVID-19 exacerbates domestic violence underreporting, racial disparities in Chicago

Editor's Note

This study by researchers at the University of Chicago finds that the rate of domestic violence reporting in Chicago decreased after the March 2020 COVID-19 stay-at-home order was issued, and the decreased rate of reporting was substantially greater in majority Black vs majority White communities.

Of 77 communities in Chicago, 28 are majority Black, 19 are majority Hispanic/Latinx, 18 are majority White, and 12 are mixed. For each community, the stay-at-home order was associated with a decrease in police reports by 21.8 crimes per 100,000 persons per month, compared to 2019.

Compared with majority White communities, Black areas had a decrease in the rate of domestic violence police reports by 40.8 crimes per 100,000 persons per month. The stay-at-home order also was associated with a decrease in domestic violence resource availability at a rate of 5.1 resources per 100,000 persons, with the largest decreases for mental health and personal safety. Black communities had a larger decrease in resource availability than White communities.

It is plausible that the stay-at-home order exacerbated domestic violence underreporting because availability of support services and resources to escape violence decreased, the authors say. In addition individuals may have avoided reporting out of fear of escalation or retaliation from perpetrators with whom they were now isolated.