Response to Domestic Violence during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Japan

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV) incidents, triggered as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) imposed lockdowns, are being increasingly reported worldwide. In April 2020, the Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Centers conducted 13,272 DV consultations, which was 1.3 times higher than the number in April 2019. The All Japan Women's Shelter Network, a group of private shelters, responded to the DV problems resulting from COVID-19 and submitted a petition to the Japanese government on March 30, 2020. This led to tremendous progress, including the opening of the public DV counseling offices for COVID-19 emergencies, DV Counseling Plus (expansion of services to include telephone, web-based, and social networking service-based counseling), the launch of counseling services for non-Japanese residents, protection of victims, additional support, alliance with private shelters, and individual receipts of $926 Special Cash Payment. The requests were granted as quickly as 1 month after submission. For Japan, this was unprecedented. Until recently, money did not come from the government, so it was not possible to talk to victims over the phone and provide subsequent support. Owing to the new support system for DV, 4,400 survivors used DV Counseling Plus (special DV consultation telephone services specifically relating to COVID-19) from April 20 to May 20, 2020.