• Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Home
  • Exit this website NOW
Safe Ireland
  • Home
  • Home
  • Get Help
    • Where to find help
    • Safety Information
    • Understanding domestic abuse
    • What types of support are available?
    • Information for Male Victims
    • Let’s Talk Tech – Online Safety Tips
  • Get Involved
    • Why should I get involved?
    • How to fundraise and donate
    • What can I do as an employer?
    • Events
    • Our Campaigns
  • About
    • Our mission
    • Impact of our work
    • What we do
    • Our team
    • Transparency
    • Media Information
  • Summit
    • Safe World Summit 2018
    • Speakers 2018
    • Safe Ireland Summit 2016
    • Speakers 2016
    • Contributions
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Children the invisible victims in the shadow pandemic of domestic abuse

in Press Releases

Safe Ireland said that the high numbers of children consistently accessing its members services with their mothers throughout 2020 must be highlighted, saying that they are the “invisible victims” of the pandemic.

Safe Ireland’s latest Tracking the Shadow Pandemic – Lockdown 2 report shows that, on average, 550 children a month received support from a dedicated domestic violence service over the four month period from September to December 2020.  Over the first six months of the pandemic, from March to September, an average of 411 children accessed services each month.

Safe Ireland is the national domestic violence agency working with 39 domestic violence services across the country.

Of the children who accessed services in the latter part of the year, at least 486 of them were ‘new’ children – that is children who had never accessed a service before with their mothers.

The report also shows that at least 265 children stayed in a range of domestic violence accommodation (refuge, safe homes and supported housing) every month between September and December. Over this period, 167 women on average every month were staying in refuge, safe and supported housing.  More children than women are consistently staying in domestic violence accommodation.

“We are extremely concerned that children living with domestic violence are suffering more than ever as this lockdown continues,” said Mary McDermott, CEO of Safe Ireland. “They are the invisible victims of this shadow pandemic of violence and abuse, and must be identified as victims in their own right. Mothers are extremely worried and stressed about their welfare and constantly ask for extra therapeutic supports for them. This is even more critical to provide now that schools remain closed since before Christmas.”

“However, there seems to be little additional funding or consideration for the specialist supports and therapeutic services that are needed by children,” she said. “Children are not just bystanders or accessories to violence, they are direct victims of abuse and control. Research tells us clearly that coercive control has the same debilitating impact on children as it does on their mothers.”

Of particular concern, Safe Ireland said, is the high numbers of children who accessed a range of specialist support services in the month of December, and in the run-up to Christmas. While the numbers of women accessing services reduced in December, the number of children being supported by domestic violence services rose to 604, the highest point in the Covid year.

Download Report (PDF 1.2Mb)

Notes to editors

Tracking the Shadow Pandemic – Lockdown 2 is based on data collected monthly by 30 domestic violence services. Safe Ireland works with 39 services in total. However, not all services could submit data every month of the period in question. The final report relies on consistent data only.

See also the Safe Ireland release outlining the overall statistics on women and children seeking support from domestic violence services from domestic violence services from September to December 2020.

For more information contact:
Edel Hackett, Tel: 087-2935207

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://www.safeireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/woman-child-stats-ft-children.jpg 580 1030 admin-safeireland https://www.safeireland.ie/wp-content/themes/master/images/si-logo-2018v1.png admin-safeireland2021-02-23 00:01:522021-02-22 16:48:59Children the invisible victims in the shadow pandemic of domestic abuse

Categories

Main Funders:

  • Home
  • Get Help
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Summit
  • Blog
  • Policy & Publications
  • Donate
  • Media Information
  • Press Releases
  • Tenders and Vacancies
  • Useful Links
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookies
  • Exit Website

SAFE Ireland National Social Change Agency CLG is a registered charity: Charity number 20039677; Revenue CHY number 13064. Registered company number 291205.

© Safe Ireland
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Further increases in women and children contacting a domestic violence service...Safe Ireland recognises mothers living with coercion – past and present...
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

OKLearn more

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy
Accept settingsHide notification only
Open Message Bar