The Shadow Pandemic is worse than ever.
Four years after COVID started.
The Shadow Pandemic has been devastating for domestic violence in Alberta. As a proud member of the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, we want to share vital information made public by the ACWS regarding the continuing impact the pandemic had on Domestic Abuse in Alberta as a whole. From long-lasting impact on survivors to continued stress and high demand for shelters, COVID created a trend of increasing cases of domestic violence, isolation for the victims and 24/7 exposure to their abusers, as well as a decrease in the availability of other support services, which increased the demand for shelters in Alberta.
All of these effects are not only still ongoing, but they continue to grow over time, making this “Shadow Pandemic” of domestic abuse a matter that the public must be aware of.
The ACWS created a full report titled, “When Other Doors Were Closed, Ours Were Open” where they gathered information from shelters across Alberta and combined them with stories from shelter staff and survivors to paint the full picture of this Shadow Pandemic.
Here are some of the most important findings of the Shadow Pandemic report:
Calls for help and the number of survivors that shelters are unable to house are both at ten-year highs.
Shelters are currently facing unprecedented and simultaneous pressure points. Demand for assistance continues to surpass population growth. From 2012 to 2013, while the Alberta population grew by 16.9%, calls for help surged by 23.7%.
In the last three years alone, calls for help have escalated by 27.8% per capita. Beyond this surge in volume, shelters are grappling with ongoing repercussions of the pandemic, escalating inflation, staff exhaustion, record-high turnover rates, and stagnant funding, all of which have stretched their capacities beyond limits.
Since the last funding increase in 2015, inflation has surged by 25%. Shelters are now addressing 46% more calls for help than in 2015, yet with only three-quarters of the purchasing power.
85% of staff surveyed reported that economic abuse has increased since the pandemic began.
ACWS members report a significant increase in economic abuse during the pandemic. A survey of shelter staff revealed that 85% observed a rise in economic abuse since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, accompanied by increased levels of debt.
81% of staff surveyed reported that since the pandemic began, survivors have increasingly struggled to meet their basic needs, including paying for groceries, clothing, and medication.
These trends are particularly concerning as shelter staff also report that survivors are struggling to meet their basic needs, including groceries, clothing, and medical care. According to 81% of surveyed staff, since the pandemic began, the survivors they support have experienced increasing challenges in meeting these basic needs. Additionally, 80% reported that survivors are encountering greater difficulties in accessing affordable housing
65% of survivors surveyed in the last year are at severe or extreme risk of being killed.
The number of survivors surveyed by ACWS members who were at extreme risk of being killed by their current or former partner notably increased in the first year of the pandemic (2021–2022). This increase was observed across all shelter programs, including outreach programs and those for survivors staying in shelters. These numbers have remained persistently high since then and are showing signs of further escalation.
In 2021–2022, 56% of survivors surveyed experienced severe or extreme risk of being killed. By 2022–2023, this figure rose to 65%, marking one of the two highest numbers recorded in the past decade.
Over the past three years, there has been an increase in the number of survivors reporting threats from their partners involving lethal weapons, instances of strangulation, and coercion into sex. Additionally, a greater number of survivors are reporting an escalation in the frequency and severity of physical violence, along with expressing concerns that their partner or former partner is capable of killing them.
This data aligns with detailed staff reports indicating an uptick in extreme cases of violence observed in shelters.
76% of staff surveyed reported increases in stress caused by the pandemic. 72% of staff surveyed reported increases in burnout.
The ongoing aftermath of the pandemic is significantly impacting staff. Research conducted by ACWS in 2022 revealed that 76% of surveyed staff reported increased stress due to the pandemic. Additionally, 72% experienced heightened levels of burnout, and 51% reported a decrease in overall well-being.
Despite their dedicated efforts, shelter staff find themselves unable to keep up with the growing demands in their communities, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic. In 2022, 51% of surveyed staff noted an increase in workload since the pandemic began. Furthermore, 83% of shelters reported a need for additional staff to address the current demands.
These challenges have both contributed to and been exacerbated by high levels of staff turnover.
As of the writing of this report, the Government of Alberta has not increased domestic violence shelter funding since 2015–2016.
Amidst escalating needs in their communities and mounting stress on their workforce, domestic violence shelters are grappling with stagnant government funding and declining fundraising capabilities. Despite a sharp increase in inflation over the past three years, shelter funding has failed to keep pace. At the time of writing this report, the Government of Alberta has not augmented funding for domestic violence shelters since 2015–2016, despite the cost of living rising by nearly 25% during that period.
Shelters have also encountered challenges in fundraising, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. In 2021–2022, 45% of surveyed shelters reported a reduction in fundraising revenues by 25–50% due to the pandemic, with an additional 30% experiencing reductions exceeding 50%. As shelters increasingly rely on community donations, communities across Alberta are grappling with the escalating cost of living.
Domestic violence shelters are navigating a precarious funding situation that jeopardizes their ability to serve their communities and the survivors within them. They urgently require adequate, sustainable funding to sustain the invaluable work they perform.
How have victims and survivors been affected by the Shadow Pandemic?
Isolation.
Isolation stands out as one of the most prevalent abusive tactics. Abusers frequently exert control over a survivor’s actions, social interactions, communication, and movements.
Often, they isolate survivors from their extended support networks, which typically include their biological or chosen family, friends, and broader communities.
This network is typically the initial resource survivors seek when considering leaving an abusive relationship.
However, if this network has been strained or damaged by the abusive relationship, survivors may find themselves with fewer resources and support as they endeavour to escape their abuser and rebuild their lives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures such as social distancing, cohorting, and self-isolation were widely implemented by governments and public health authorities to curb the spread of the virus. While effective in safeguarding more people against COVID-19, these measures inadvertently exacerbated the sense of isolation experienced by many survivors.
For those living with their abusers, social distancing requirements became yet another tool of abuse, making it challenging to seek help as abusers were nearly always present. Survivors had limited opportunities to find privacy to reach out for assistance safely.
Similarly, for survivors who had already left abusive relationships, social distancing requirements could evoke feelings of being trapped once again, akin to being back in the abusive relationship.
Control.
Control lies at the core of domestic abuse, often integrated into its definition. According to the United Nations, domestic abuse encompasses “a pattern of behaviour in any relationship that is used to maintain power and control over an intimate partner.”
Similarly, the Duluth Model emphasizes the significance of “power and control” in its Power and Control Wheel, recognizing domestic abuse as “characterized by the pattern of actions that an individual uses to intentionally control or dominate his intimate partner.”
Abusers employ various tactics, such as threats, intimidation, coercion, and isolation, to assert control over their partners and their partners’ lives, resulting in profound impacts on survivors.
While the health restrictions imposed by federal, provincial, and local governments aimed to safeguard lives and prevent healthcare systems from collapsing, many survivors we interviewed expressed experiencing these restrictions as a form of control reminiscent of their abusive relationships.
Survivors noted that, for those still in abusive relationships, pandemic restrictions provided abusers with additional means to exert control over their lives. These restrictions became yet another tool for abusers to manipulate and control their partners.
Lack of income support.
For numerous survivors, Income Support represents a vital lifeline as they endeavour to rebuild their lives following abusive relationships. This assistance is particularly significant for survivors who have endured economic abuse, as Income Support can play a pivotal role in their healing journeys.
For survivors residing in second-stage shelters, which offer extended stays ranging from six months to two years in their own apartments, receiving Income Support enables them to actively participate in the second-stage programming without the added concern of covering expenses such as rent, groceries, or other basic needs.
Lack of Child and Family Services.
Engaging with survivors reveals an extraordinary aspect: their remarkable commitment to their children. In every focus group we conducted, survivors expressed their profound passion, dedication, and care for their children. For many survivors, their children serve as the primary motivation for exiting abusive relationships and pursuing health and healing in their own lives. Every survivor we spoke with who had children was resolute in their determination to break the cycle of abuse, ensuring that their children would not endure what they themselves had experienced.
Lack of housing.
Survivors consistently cited lack of access to safe, affordable, and suitable housing as one of the most significant systemic barriers they encountered. Throughout Alberta, survivors expressed difficulties in finding housing within their communities. Some survivors described travelling between communities in search of housing, only to encounter failure in every place they visited. The three major obstacles to securing housing identified by survivors were: (1) a scarcity of affordable housing options in communities, (2) discrimination, and (3) unethical and/or illegal conduct by landlords.
For survivors reliant on Income Support or with low incomes, rental prices across the province often exceed their financial means. Indigenous survivors, those with disabilities, and survivors dependent on Income Support all reported facing discrimination from landlords. Many survivors recounted instances of unethical or illegal treatment by landlords, such as being asked for payment to view apartments or facing eviction due to medical conditions necessitating hospitalization. Survivors also detailed experiences of discrimination because of their stays in domestic violence shelters.
Lack of access to substance use and mental wellness supports.
Access to trauma-informed mental wellness support and resources to manage substance use is a vital component of the healing journey for many survivors. Research indicates that domestic abuse significantly affects survivors’ mental well-being and substance use. The emotional and psychological consequences of domestic abuse can be profound and enduring, often leading survivors to experience long-term challenges. Particularly for survivors lacking access to mental wellness support, substance use may serve as a coping mechanism to alleviate the negative effects of domestic abuse.
Support your local shelter.
In recognizing the profound challenges survivors of domestic abuse face, it’s clear they encounter numerous hurdles in their journey to rebuild their lives.
From the tactics of control and isolation to the systemic barriers to safe housing and support services, their path to healing is fraught with obstacles. Yet, amid these struggles, their resilience shines through, as they strive to break free and create brighter futures.
However, shelters across Alberta need support to continue providing vital assistance to survivors. Your donation can make a tangible difference, offering hope, empowerment, and resources to rebuild shattered lives.
By extending a helping hand, you can be a beacon of hope for survivors, providing the tools they need to reclaim their autonomy and embrace brighter futures.
Together, let’s stand in solidarity with survivors of domestic abuse, supporting shelters across Alberta as they provide the compassion, assistance, and resources survivors need on their journey toward healing and empowerment.
Your donation can transform lives, empowering survivors to overcome adversity and rebuild their futures. Donate here to support Stepping Stones Crisis Society or visit the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters’ website here to support them or any other domestic violence shelter in Alberta.
