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Impact of the Economy on
Domestic Violence

While economic woes like recession and unemployment do not cause domestic violence, they do commonly exacerbate it and contribute to increases in frequency and severity.

  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline has documented a 21% increase in calls for September 2008 as compared to September 2007.
  • Many programs in Pennsylvania are reporting that their emergency shelters have been at or near capacity for months.
  • The number of unmet requests for shelter continues to grow: in FY 07-08, 5,272 victims reached out to one of our domestic violence programs for help yet were put on a waiting list or referred elsewhere because of that program´s lack of resources. This number is up from 5,106 in FY 06-07, and on track to grow again in FY 08-09.

    Additionally, other systems that are critical to a coordinated community response are being dramatically affected by the dismal economy and dire budget shortfalls. In particular, funding for local police and sheriffs´ departments is severely threatened; fewer officers may mean that victims face extended response times during acutely violent assaults, or that officers lack the time to receive specialized training in domestic violence or participate in local domestic violence task forces.

    Importantly, however, the poor economy does not directly cause a spike in the crime rate overall, but rather increases in crime rates occur only among certain types of crimes - such as domestic violence.

  • In a recent article, one criminal justice expert explained the effect of the worsening economy on the crime rate this way: “Is somebody who´s never pulled a strong-armed stickup in their life likely to go start doing that because they lost their job? Not so much. Is a household that´s already been troubled and has a history of domestic violence going to be even further strained, and is it likely to escalate? Much more likely.”

These increases are consistent with what we know about abusers - that they use coercive controls including violence to establish dominance and maintain control, and that when their sense of control is shaken, such as by losing their economic control over victims, they lash out in other ways. Assaults may also be triggered by disputes over money, or by abusers simply being home more often because they are unemployed. In short, even with the hard economic times that the state budget is facing, it is now more than ever that domestic violence programs need additional funding to meet the increased demand for their services.
The need for funding pervades all other aspects of domestic violence services: without adequate staff, victim interventions and community prevention simply cannot be accomplished to their full potential.

VAWnet Releases Report on Economic Stress and Domestic Violencelink opens in new window

The severe economic recession that began in December 2007 has renewed interest in the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence (DV). Although analyses of current financial statistics in relation to reported DV incidents have yet to be completed, a sizable body of research that examines various economic indicators provides a framework for understanding how economic stress may contribute to DV. At the same time, available research indicates that DV may also produce financial hardship for DV victims. This paper reviews the research on the reciprocal economic stress—DV relationship, focusing in particular on employment issues; social support networks; physical and mental health problems; and social services, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

Survey Links Economic Downturn to National Increase in Domestic Violence

May 12, 2009 - Mary Kay, Inc., announced results from "Mary Kay´s Truth About Abuse" survey of domestic violence shelters across the country. Findings reveal three out of four domestic violence shelters report an increase in women seeking assistance since September 2008. The survey data directly connects a major reason for the increase in domestic violence to the downturn in the economy.

Read the News Release

Additional information on Economic Distress and Domestic Violence from the National Institute of Justice

National Domestic Violence Hotline Releases Data Suggesting Link Between Financial Stress and Domestic Violence

On January 29, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) released data suggesting a link between financial stress and domestic violence. For victims who called NDVH during the six week study, 54 percent reported a change in their household´s financial situation in the past year.

NDVH CEO Sheryl Cates said the study was developed in response to both an increase in anecdotal information from callers about how the economic downturn has affected their family, and questions from news media who asked whether the increase in the demand for Hotline, residential and non-residential services was related to the economy.

"Hotline calls in the third quarter of 2008 were up significantly over 2007, with September up 21 percent," Cates said. "From what we were hearing on the calls, we believed that there was a link, but needed data to be sure."

From November 12 until December 31, 2008, 32,316 Hotline calls were received, with 7,868 callers participating in the study. Of those, 54 percent (3,272) answered yes to the question "Has there been a change in your household´s financial situation in the past year?"

Sixty-four percent also answered the second question affirmatively, which was "Do you believe the abusive behavior has increased in the past year?"

The National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH), headquartered in Austin, Texas, is a confidential 24/7 Hotline, established by Congress and funded by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The confidential service provides crisis intervention, information and referral to victims of domestic violence, perpetrators, friends and families. Additional information may be obtained at www.ndvh.org or by calling 1-800-799-7233. (Source: National Domestic Violence Hotline)

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