Lessons From Lockdown: Designing Flexible, Responsive Domestic and Family Violence Service Systems

Whether natural disaster, war, financial crisis, or global health emergency, upsurges in domestic violence lurk in the shadows of every crisis. In 2020, following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, described the lockdowns and related control measures as "a perfect storm for controlling, violent behaviour behind closed doors." Drawing on research investigating domestic and family violence help-seeking and service responses during the COVID-19 lockdowns, this paper explores what the pandemic has taught us about designing responsive and accessible services to support victim-survivors during normal operations as well as in times of crisis.