Any dispute related to the use of the works of the IDB that cannot be settled amicably shall be submitted to arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. The use of the I DB's name for any purpose other than for attribution and the use of the I DB's logo shall be subject to a separate written license agreement between the IDB and the user agreement between the IDB and the user and is not authorized as part of this CC-IGO license.Note that the link provided above includes additional terms and conditions of the license.The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Inter-American Development Bank, its Board of Directors, or the countries they represent.

This article examines changes in the frequency and characteristics of domestic violence reports following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the imposition of mobility restrictions in six Latin American countries. We find significantly different patterns between reports of psychological and physical violence, non-cohabitant and cohabitant violence, and across alternative reporting channels (domestic violence hotlines, emergency lines, and police reports). Calls to domestic violence hotlines soared, suggesting that this channel was best suited to respond to victims’ needs during the pandemic. In turn, calls to emergency lines and police complaints declined (especially in the first weeks of the pandemic), consistent with an increase in the perceived (relative) cost of using these channels. The results reveal how the pandemic altered domestic violence victims’ demand for institutional help and highlight the relevance of domestic violence hotlines as an accessible and valuable service.

This article examines changes in the frequency and characteristics of domestic violence reports after the start of the pandemic and the imposition of mobility restrictions in six Latin American countries. The study uses three types of data sources: calls to domestic violence hotlines (for the City of Buenos Aires in Argentina, Colombia, and Peru); calls to emergency lines (for Ecuador, Lima in Peru, and Costa Rica); and police/legal complaints (for Colombia, Ecuador, and Uruguay). Data through June 2020 shows that the pandemic's impact on domestic violence reports varied significantly across countries, periods, types of violence, and reporting channels. Calls to domestic violence hotlines soared, but calls to emergency lines and police complaints fell (especially in the first weeks of the pandemic). Significantly distinct patterns are observed between reports of psychological and physical violence, and non-cohabitant and cohabitant violence. These patterns are consistent with the pandemic changing the relative incidence of different types of violence and altering the perceived costs of reporting them through alternative channels. Increases in calls to domestic violence hotlines suggest that this channel was best suited to respond to victims' needs during the pandemic. In turn, the drop in legal complaints and calls to comprehensive emergency lines are consistent with an increase in the perceived (relative) cost of using these channels. The findings reveal how the pandemic altered domestic violence victims' demand for institutional help and highlight the relevance of domestic violence hotlines as an accessible and valuable service.

No abstract