From how quickly it spreads to when the economy will re-open, there is so much we don’t know about the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But we do know enough to implement lifesaving measures to stem one of the pandemic’s most insidious risks: lethal intimate partner violence. Gun stores should not be considered essential services in this volatile context. Instead, investments should be made in strategies that support survivors and are responsive to the COVID-19 environment.

Intimate Partner Violence Rises During Disasters

Intimate partner violence and sexual assault increase in the wake of disasters. Social services and informal support networks are weakened, prevention programs are often suspended, and policing responses are strained. In the current COVID-19 disaster, individuals using violence against their partners are operating within vacuums of social isolation and, in the absence of any privacy, the opportunities for survivors to reach out for services are severely limited.

In the current COVID-19 disaster, individuals using violence against their partners are operating within vacuums of social isolation and, in the absence of any privacy, the opportunities for survivors to reach out for services are severely limited.

Victims and survivors of intimate partner violence often previously received support from workplaces, faith communities, and social activities, which are now closed to them. Reduced social support and increased economic stress, endemic in the current context, are associated with perpetrating intimate partner violence and homicide.

Without a doubt, guns increase risk in intimate partner violence situations. Women in the U.S. are 21 times more likely to be killed by a firearm than women in peer countries. States with the highest rates of gun ownership have 65 percent more intimate partner violence-related firearm homicides than states with the lowest rates. Access to a firearm means someone is five times more likely to kill their female partner. Guns are used to threaten, intimidate, and blackmail partners, and can be a tool for sexual coercion, assault, and rape. Nearly one million women in the U.S. have been shot or shot at by their former male partner. Between 2009-2018, 80 percent of children killed in mass shootings were shot in incidents connected to domestic violence.

And these risks are amplified by socio-economic disparities driven by systemic racism and sexism. According to a 2016 Associated Press analysis, 75 percent of intimate partner violence-related homicides were perpetrated by a current or former male partner of the victim. More than half of all women killed by partners are killed with a gun, translating to about 52 women a month shot and killed by a partner in America. In the U.S., Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic women are victims of homicide at the highest rates. Black women are twice as likely and younger Black women (ages 18-34) are nearly three times more likely than are non-Hispanic white women in the same age group to be shot and killed.  Further, risk is increased when women lack financial means to achieve safety, lack trust in official systems, and lack culturally relevant services. There are additional vulnerabilities for victims an survivors who fear deportation.

Guns and Lockdown: A Perfect Storm

Survivors often hesitate to contact law enforcement. Therefore it is especially troubling that police jurisdictions across the United States have seen a marked increase in recent domestic violence reports, including a 21 percent increase in Seattle and a 20 percent increase between February and March in Houston. Eighteen of 22 departments surveyed in recent reporting indicate an increase overall. During the week of March 28-April 4, the rate of murder-suicides increased 100 percent when compared to an average week in the United States, 90 percent of which are attributed to men killing their current or former female partners, and in some cases, their children. According to the Violence Policy Institute, 65 percent of all murder-suicides follow this scenario.

And yet, as large swaths of the economy have closed to prevent further viral spread, and millions have lost their jobs, the federal government has deemed gun sellers essential.

And yet, as large swaths of the economy have closed to prevent further viral spread, and millions have lost their jobs, the federal government has deemed gun sellers essential. Even in locations where they are subject to closure, there is pushback from gun retailers. According to a recent New York Times analysis of federal data, gun sellers are enjoying their second highest sales in the past 20 years, preceded only by purchases in January 2013, immediately following President Barack Obama’s re-election and the Sandy Hook school shooting.

While the nuances of gun purchasing differ from state to state, no training is required by federal law to purchase or own a gun. Currently, most first-time gun owners do not have the option of taking in-person classes because facilities that offer such classes are shuttered.

Experts warn that, like the aftermath of Sandy Hook, the last surge in gun purchasing, more guns in homes will not only increase deaths from intimate partner violence, but accidental shootings and suicides as well.

Experts warn that, like the aftermath of Sandy Hook, the last surge in gun purchasing, more guns in homes will not only increase deaths from intimate partner violence, but accidental shootings and suicides as well.

Saving Lives and Supporting Survivors During the Pandemic

We have sufficient information to make choices that promote public safety and decrease preventable death in this country even as COVID-19 rages. State-level policymakers have an opportunity to curb the impact of intimate partner violence during this unprecedented time.

Here are five steps we can take to save lives now.

1. Remove the “essential services” designation and close stores that only sell guns.
2. Ensure that Domestic Violence Protection Orders or Red Flag Law processes are still operational and that all avenues of requesting firearms surrender are available safely and virtually to survivors.
3. Promote cross-training among court personnel and allied professionals around court processes that have been COVID-19 responsive, such as virtual appearances and remote filing, which allow survivors to obtain protection orders while still observing social distancing and following public health guidance.
4. Fund intimate partner violence programs to serve survivors in COVID-19 responsive ways, including offering hotel rooms as opposed to congregant shelter options and letting advocates work remotely to provide flexible financial assistance to survivors.
5. Promote accurate messaging from news and law enforcement entities. The media and law enforcement must not mischaracterize intimate partner violence when reporting an increase. It’s a pattern of escalating coercive control which can be made more dangerous from this crisis, not two people getting annoyed with each other in close quarters. Public messaging should reflect the potential for lethal violence and include both local resources and National Hotline information, which includes a chat function to allow for more discreet communication.

We have already lost too many lives from COVID-19.  We will lose more unless we make immediate policy changes to reduce the incidence and lethality of intimate partner violence by making it harder for people to obtain guns and making it easier for survivors to obtain COVID-19 responsive services.

Resources

RAINN – (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network)
rainn.org
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

The National Domestic Violence Hotline
thehotline.org
1-800-799-7233