Remote working | Spotting signs of domestic abuse

Throughout lockdown, levels of domestic abuse have increased within homes, with more women in particular suffering from violence from their partner during the pandemic.

This is according to an investigation by the BBC’s Panorama, which discovered that two-thirds of women in abusive relationships have faced more violence, while three-quarters of victims shared that the period has made it harder for them to escape their abusers.

The joint investigation by Panorama and Women’s Aid is the first in-depth study into how the pandemic has impacted victims of domestic abuse, according to a report from the Guardian.

To gauge its impact, the Panorama programme looked at statistics obtained from UK police forces under freedom of information laws, which found that there was one domestic abuse call every 30 seconds in the first seven weeks of lockdown in the UK. These calls included reports of violent offenses such as kidnap, revenge porn and poisoning.