The role of exposure in domestic abuse victimization: evidence from the COVID‐19 lockdown
利用伦敦首次全国封锁期间的呼叫数据，研究发现封锁改变了家庭虐待的报告方式和关系类型，当前伴侣和家庭成员虐待增加，而前伴侣虐待减少，且第三方报告在人口密集区显著上升，表明环境暴露因素的重要性。
Abstract Preventing a COVID‐19 health crisis had unintended consequences on domestic abuse victimization. Using event methodology and individual‐level call data, we examine domestic abuse patterns during the first nationwide COVID‐19 lockdown in Greater London, and find that the lockdown changed both the nature of reporting and the type of relationship within which the abuse occurs. Abuse by current partners and family members increased on average by 8.5% and 16.4%, respectively, during the COVID‐19 lockdown, while abuse by ex‐partners declined by 9.4%. We address possible changes in domestic abuse reporting using information on the caller type and the timing of abuse. We show that the increase in domestic abuse calls is driven by third party reporting, which is 32% higher in high density areas where neighbours can overhear abuse, while no comparable changes occur in victim reporting. These findings highlight the importance of environmental factors, such as exposure, in affecting domestic abuse victimization across different types of relationships.