Amidst the nationwide stay-at-home orders to enforce social distancing to combat the COVID-19 outbreak widespread issues of sexual violence have not eased, but merely evolved.
The rising number of sexual abuse in our country have been represented differently in the past few weeks however, the negative impacts of the crimes are as harmful as ever. While there are fewer public physical sexual assault crimes, which on its own is one positive effect of the strictly enforced social distancing, the focus on domestic abuse and the perils of women who have been laid-off as an equally relevant result of the shutdown is of the utmost importance.
Unfortunately, there has been virtually nothing in the way of a national response to addressing the risks of those who have been forced to enter sex work for a way to compensate for loss of income. Many women have been forced into this severe and saddening circumstance and no measures to specifically aid them have been made apart from the national Economic Impact Payment stimulus checks that are being distributed to eligible (not all) citizens in response to the national shutdown.
Cases of domestic abuse, particularly toward children, have skyrocketed according to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network’s National Sexual Assaults Hotline in the past month. With increased severity and frequency from daily exposure as a result of the COVID-19 quarantine, minors and others at risk for abuse in their own homes are faced with a rapidly threatening situation of being trapped with their abusers.
RAINN is one source victims of abuse can turn to in this time to find the support the desperately need. The organization’s hotline (800.656.4673) is free and confidential 24/7. Furthermore, RAINN has assisted minors in immediately contacting the police in 20% of cases during the month of March as the child welfare system is still operating during the pandemic.