Domestic violence is one of the most common forms of violence in the world. According to Nix and Richards (2021), “1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men report experiencing DV in their lifetime”. Women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, especially women of intersecting minority or marginalized identities, including those based on one's sexual orientation, race, immigration status, socioeconomic status, etc. Domestic violence takes many different forms, and can be financial, emotional, medical, and technological in nature, as opposed to being merely physical or sexual (IACP, 2020). The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the already ongoing "shadow pandemic" of domestic violence and allowed abusers to take greater advantage of the pre-existing power dynamics and gender hierarchies that serve to facilitate the perpetration of domestic violence within the United States.

Approximately 1 out of every 4 women report experiencing some form of domestic violence during their lifetimes within the United States (Nix & Richards, 2021). Such violence includes acts of physical violence, emotional violence through behaviors such as stalking, and sexual violence, as well as many other forms (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence). The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control indicates that nearly 4.8 million domestic assaults are carried out against women each year but that less than 20% of survivors seek medical treatment following an experience of violence (National Organization for Women). Women’s educational, employment, and civic engagement opportunities are also endangered in the aftermath of acts of domestic violence, due to the extreme toll that such experiences can have on one’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing (Institute for Women’s Policy Research). Thus, just as it is vital to ensure that men are able to seek adequate medical and legal care following an experience of domestic violence, it is also important for millions of women across the United States to have access to such care, for the protection of one’s physical and mental health, as well as for the protection of one’s livelihood.

Domestic violence against women has been referred to as the "shadow pandemic" during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sexual harassment has increased following the onset of the pandemic (US News, 2021). Other instances of domestic violence have also increased overall since the spring of 2020, with 1 in 2 women experiencing or reporting knowing someone who has experienced some form of domestic violence in the last two years (UN Women, 2021). This does not discount the number of people of other genders with similar experiences, but it is important to note that women are disproportionately affected by domestic violence.

There are other power structures that reinforce the continued practice of domestic and family violence aside from gender, as well. Power can be displayed in a range from physical and sexual violence, to threats and intimidation, blocking escape routes, and withholding of personal belongings such as phones to call for help (North, 2020). Power is more dangerous in the domestic sphere, especially during times such as the pandemic when partners and families were confined to the home, where abuse is private. Cultural norms play a role in the traditional family dynamic and can influence how entire groups view the issue of domestic and family violence. For example, in some cultures, domestic violence is a more acceptable practice because of their perception of a woman’s role as potentially submissive to men (Maji, 2021). In such instances, women are even less likely to report cases because of its cultural perception and the lack of justice for abusers. Another power structure is the legal system and how often a perpetrator receives justice. This was deterred by the pandemic as the progression of legal cases was slowed and people were forced to work from home. This, in turn, made it much more difficult for victims to obtain safety from their abusers with the help of legal tools such as restraining orders. Many cases, regardless of nature, were delayed or dismissed during the pandemic, leaving victims helpless and stuck. Police response times were also slow during the pandemic, likely due to issues with staffing and the elevated number of calls. The men’s support hotline experienced an increase in calls at the start of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, victims and abusers may also have experienced unemployment leading to more stress, and the lack of ability of victims to be financially independent and escape. Candace Bright shows that male unemployment rates and DV rates correlated during the pandemic (Bright, 2020). This stress may also have been transferred to the children, who also were stuck in the home due to online schooling. This presented an additional obstacle for many women, as, overall, women are likely to earn less than men in many industries and may not be able to afford to escape. Another issue that played into existing power structures is that of immigration status problems that were exacerbated by the pandemic conditions and an inability to file papers and establish residency. Undocumented people, specifically undocumented immigrant women, were more likely to face domestic violence. In many cases, domestic violence against undocumented people won’t appear physical. Victims could have been threatened by the withholding of important documents or the threat of reporting one’s undocumented status, and had no way to escape. Power structures also exist between ages. Children in the home may also become victims to domestic violence or are exposed to it from a young age. COVID worsened already abusive households and trapped not just women, but also children and the elderly inside the home, who are also disproportionately at risk of abuse, thus leaving victims with a lack of agency and control over their situations. While households and family makeup may look different, patterns of abuse against certain age groups remain consistent.