During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports emerged that lockdowns were increasing the prevalence of domestic and family violence (DFV) in Australia and across the world. The lockdowns and restrictions were necessary to contain the pandemic. However, leaders in the domestic family violence sector expressed concerns early during 2020 that these lockdowns would lead to the escalation of domestic and family violence. Calling it a shadow pandemic, the United Nations Secretary-General urged all governments to prioritise the prevention of violence against women in their national response plan for COVID-19. To gain some insight into the Australian context, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Centre for Justice research team conducted a nationwide survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on DFV services and their clients. Findings based on survey data from 362 participants from the DFV sector, including 1,507 qualitative responses, confirm the concerns raised early in the COVID-19 pandemic. This article provides an overview of the survey results, discusses the findings in the light of national international research and highlights the resources needed to strengthen the DFV sector in the future.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 大流行对澳大利亚家庭暴力服务机构及其客户的影响

在 COVID-19 大流行的早期阶段，有报告称，封锁正在增加澳大利亚和世界各地的家庭暴力 (DFV) 发生率。封锁和限制对于遏制疫情是必要的。然而，家庭暴力领域的领导人在 2020 年初表达了担忧，认为这些封锁将导致家庭暴力升级。联合国秘书长称其为“影子大流行病”，敦促各国政府在其国家应对 COVID-19 计划中优先考虑预防暴力侵害妇女行为。为了深入了解澳大利亚的具体情况，昆士兰科技大学 (QUT) 司法中心研究团队进行了一项全国范围的调查，以评估 COVID-19 大流行对 DFV 服务及其客户的影响。基于来自 DFV 行业 362 名参与者的调查数据（包括 1,507 份定性回复）得出的结果证实了 COVID-19 大流行初期提出的担忧。本文概述了调查结果，根据国内国际研究讨论了调查结果，并强调了未来加强 DFV 部门所需的资源。