Domestic violence in NSW in the wake of COVID-19: Update to December 2020.

Abstract

Following the declaration of the global pandemic in March 2020 unprecedented social restrictions were implemented in New South Wales to curb the spread of COVID-19. This brief examines changes in domestic violence in New South Wales, Australia, between April and December 2020 following the implementation of these restrictions. We examine multiple indicators for domestic violence, including recorded criminal incidents, non-criminal domestic episodes recorded by police and calls to a specialist state-wide telephone crisis, counselling and referral service. It follows on from previous reports examining indicators of domestic violence in the early stage of the New South Wales Government’s response to the pandemic, presenting additional analyses and examining data over a longer period.