Op-Ed: COVID-19 and Domestic Violence in The Bay Area

COVID & Domestic Violence in The Bay Area
By TH

Domestic Violence is a crucial crisis that should be socially addressed and a focus is brought to the Bay Area according to the Violence Policy Center 91% of “most female murder victims are killed by a man they know….or their partner” (New York Times, 2021). This substantial percentage of death by domestic violence is something that should call for extreme attention. Turning a focus to Bay Area accounts of domestic violence, during the turn of COVID-19 many domestic violence victims were placed in a terrifying environment that they could not escape.

An article from the New York Times shares the experience of 50-year-old Tina Robinson, an Oakland resident, and her placement of terror and not having a safe place. The article expressed that“Evidence suggests domestic violence is getting worse as partners are stuck sheltering in place together during the pandemic…”(New York Times, 2021). In a time where partners were held up in their homes, there was only hopelessness.

The Bay Area does provide some resources which serve as safe havens for women who are falling victim to the extremity of domestic violence since COVID-19. There are 50 different resources are provided to women in case of a domestic violence occurrence, some include A Safe Place in Oakland, CA, and Building a Future for Women and Children, these are shelters that provide cover and safety for women victimized by domestic violence. Domestic violence is a crucial societal problem that is often overlooked and there has not been the right change in policies that provide more protection and support for women and children facing domestic violence.