Chicago’s Stay-at-Home Mandate—The Need to Improve on Domestic Violence Prevention and Response

Abstract

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has led to profound changes in the human condition, including how we socially and physically relate following stay-at-home (SH) mandates. For some individuals, SH mandates were a refreshing break from business as usual, whereas for others, SH mandates exacerbated stress and poor health outcomes. For individuals experiencing domestic violence (DV), data are still accumulating regarding how SH mandates may be associated with abuse experiences, police reporting, health care service-seeking and other resource use.In one of the most comprehensive studies, to date, Baidoo et al 1 shine a critical spotlight on DV-related police reporting and resource availability following COVID-19-related SH mandates in Chicago, including profound associated changes in majority Black communities. Baidoo et al analyzed