COVID-19 Pandemic Caused a Surge in Domestic Violence Cases Across Ontario

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped life across Ontario, closing businesses, disrupting healthcare, and isolating families in their homes. But beyond its visible impact, the pandemic also fueled a shadow crisis of domestic violence.

Between March and September 2020, Ontario’s Assaulted Women’s Helpline fielded more than 55,000 calls for help — nearly double its usual volume. Thousands more calls went unanswered due to capacity limits, highlighting just how overwhelming the need became.

Lockdowns, economic stress, and reduced access to support services acted as a pressure cooker for households already at risk, trapping survivors in unsafe homes with limited options to escape.

How the Pandemic Fueled Violence

1. Lockdowns and Isolation

Stay-at-home orders intended to protect public health had unintended consequences for survivors. Many were physically trapped with abusers 24/7, under constant monitoring and surveillance, with fewer opportunities to call for help.

2. Economic Stress and Instability

Job losses, reduced hours, and financial uncertainty increased tension in many households. Economic stress is one of the strongest predictors of family violence escalation, and COVID-19 made financial dependence on abusers even more common.

3. Reduced Access to Services

• Shelters: To comply with public health rules, many shelters cut bed capacity, forcing them to turn away survivors nightly.

• Courts: Family court closures delayed restraining orders, custody hearings, and divorce proceedings, leaving survivors legally tied to abusers.

4. Mental Health Strain

The pandemic also contributed to widespread anxiety, depression, and substance misuse, conditions strongly linked to escalations in domestic violence incidents.

Alarming Statistics from Ontario

• 55,000+ helpline calls managed in just six months — with countless more dropped due to system overload.

• Shelters forced to turn away women and children nightly because social distancing cut available beds.

• 24% of family custody cases in 2020–21 involved allegations of intimate partner violence (IPV), highlighting how legal systems were directly impacted.

• Femicides increased in multiple regions, with several women killed by partners while trapped under stay-at-home orders.

These numbers underscore how the pandemic magnified an already-existing crisis.

Impact on Survivors and Families

The pandemic didn’t create IPV, but it worsened conditions for those already at risk. Survivors experienced:

• Heightened Surveillance: Many abusers monitored phones, movements, and online activity, leaving survivors with fewer safe ways to seek help.

• Children Exposed to More Abuse: Kids spent more time at home, leading to increased exposure to violence and long-term psychological harm.

• Systemic Inequities:

  • Indigenous women faced higher risks due to lack of culturally specific services and underfunded northern shelters.

  • Immigrant women encountered language barriers and fears tied to immigration status, limiting access to crisis services.

Lessons Learned from Ontario’s Pandemic Experience

The COVID-19 years exposed systemic cracks that must be addressed before the next crisis:

1. Integrate Gender-Based Violence into Emergency Planning

   • Pandemic response plans must account for IPV, ensuring survivors aren’t left behind.

2. Surge Funding for Shelters

   • Shelters need flexible, emergency-ready funding to expand bed capacity and staff support during crises.

3. Virtual Courts as Permanent Infrastructure

   • Ontario’s legal system must maintain virtual hearings for restraining orders and custody disputes, so survivors never face months-long delays again.

4. Expand Community Awareness and Prevention

   • Campaigns must proactively remind survivors of their rights, available hotlines, and local support — especially when isolation limits in-person outreach.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a painful truth: domestic violence in Ontario is not a private matter but a public emergency. The crisis magnified existing cracks in housing, justice, and social services, leaving survivors more vulnerable than ever.

Ontario cannot afford to forget these lessons. As the province prepares for future crises, it must commit to expanding shelter funding, integrating IPV into emergency planning, and modernizing the legal system so that survivors are never again forced to suffer in silence.

FAQs

1. How did COVID-19 affect domestic violence in Ontario?
It caused a sharp increase in cases due to isolation, financial stress, and reduced service access.

2. How many calls did Ontario’s Assaulted Women’s Helpline handle in 2020?
Over 55,000 calls between March and September 2020.

3. Why were shelters less accessible during COVID-19?
Shelters had to reduce capacity to follow health regulations, which led to turn-aways and longer waitlists.

4. How were family courts affected?
About 24% of custody cases during 2020–21 involved IPV allegations, many delayed due to closures.

5. What lessons can Ontario apply moving forward?
Expand shelter funding, build IPV into emergency planning, and maintain virtual legal access for survivors.