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The Impact of the Coronavirus Lockdown on Domestic Violence

Author

Listed:
  • Justin McCrary
  • Sarath Sanga

Abstract

We use 911 call records and mobile device location data to study the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on domestic violence. The percent of people at home sharply increased at all hours, and nearly doubled during regular working hours, from 45% to 85%. Domestic violence increased 12% on average and 20% during working hours. Using neighborhood-level identifiers, we show that the rate of first-time abuse likely increased even more: 16% on average and 23% during working hours. Our results contribute to an urgent need to quantify the physical and psychological burdens of prolonged lockdown policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin McCrary & Sarath Sanga, 2021. "The Impact of the Coronavirus Lockdown on Domestic Violence," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 23(1), pages 137-163.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:amlawe:v:23:y:2021:i:1:p:137-163.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/aler/ahab003
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Solange Muñoz & Jordin Clark & Jeremy Auerbach & Lily Hardwig, 2023. "Under lockdown: Remaking “home†through infrastructures of care during COVID-19," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 41(8), pages 1555-1574, December.
    2. Amalia R. Miller & Carmit Segal & Melissa K. Spencer, 2024. "Effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on domestic violence in Los Angeles," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 91(361), pages 163-187, January.
    3. Rocha, Fabiana & Diaz, Maria Dolores Montoya & Pereda, Paula Carvalho & Árabe, Isadora Bousquat & Cavalcanti, Filipe & Lordemus, Samuel & Kreif, Noemi & Moreno-Serra, Rodrigo, 2024. "COVID-19 and violence against women: Current knowledge, gaps, and implications for public policy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    4. Fabiana Rocha & Maria Dolores Montoya Diaz & Paula Carvalho Pereda & Isadora Bousquat Arabe & Filipe Cavalcanti & Samuel Lordemus & Noemi Kreif & Rodrigo Moreno-Serra, 2024. "COVID-19 and gender-biased violence: current knowledge, gaps, and implications for public policy," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2024_14, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    5. Lydia Cheung & Philip Gunby, 2023. "The Initial and Dynamic Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Crime in New Zealand," Working Papers in Economics 23/03, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    6. Solmaz Moslehi & Jaai Parasnis & Massimiliano Tani & Josephina Vejayaratnam, 2021. "Assaults during lockdown in New South Wales and Victoria," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 24(2), pages 199-212.
    7. Lauren Gilbert & Susan Parker & Lauren Schechter, 2024. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment for domestic violence injuries: evidence from medical claims," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 535-562, June.
    8. Miller, Amalia R. & Segal, Carmit & Spencer, Melissa K., 2022. "Effects of COVID‐19 shutdowns on domestic violence in US cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    9. Roman, Soraya & Aguiar-Palma, Marina & Machado, Cecilia, 2023. "A tale of two cities: Heterogeneous effects of COVID-19 quarantine on domestic violence in Brazil," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    10. Alexander Henke & Linchi Hsu, 2022. "COVID-19 and Domestic Violence: Economics or Isolation?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 296-309, June.
    11. Veronica Grembi & Anna C. Rosso & Emilia Barili, 2024. "Domestic violence perception and gender stereotypes," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-32, March.
    12. Juan F Domínguez D & Johnny Truong & Jake Burnett & Lata Satyen & Hamed Akhlaghi & Julian Stella & Nick Rushworth & Karen Caeyenberghs, 2022. "Effects of the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic on Assault-Related Head Injury in Melbourne: A Retrospective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    13. Jagoda Grzejszczak & Agata Gabryelska & Agnieszka Gmitrowicz & Magdalena Kotlicka-Antczak & Dominik Strzelecki, 2022. "Are Children Harmed by Being Locked up at Home? The Impact of Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Phenomenon of Domestic Violence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, October.
    14. Xinming Du, 2023. "Symptom or Culprit? Social Media, Air Pollution, and Violence," CESifo Working Paper Series 10296, CESifo.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    J12; D63; I18; E65;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes

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