VANCOUVER

Potential for tougher COVID-19 rules raises domestic violence concerns in B.C.

Published Thursday, November 12, 2020 11:51AM PST Last Updated Thursday, November 12, 2020 11:51AM PST

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VANCOUVER -- As temperatures drop and B.C. faces the possibility of tougher COVID-19 restrictions, there are heightened concerns about domestic violence victims being shut in with their abusers.

With Lower Mainland residents currently ordered not to socialize in person with anyone outside their "core bubble," which in most cases means members of their own household, Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers has asked anyone aware of ongoing domestic abuse to make an anonymous report.

The non-profit organization said COVID-19 isolation is becoming "accepted globally as a factor in increased mental health problems and domestic violence" in 2020.

"We're being asked to gather in even smaller groups this winter and that means most of us will be in touch less and less with others," Linda Annis of Crime Stoppers said in a news release.

"Under these conditions, there’s an increased potential for domestic violence to remain behind closed doors and invisible. It’s important to stay in touch with friends and family this winter and be especially vigilant."

Earlier in the pandemic, the Canadian Women's Foundation shared a hand signal that people can use during video calls to let others know they need help. It involves putting one hand up, palm facing toward the camera, then tucking the thumb in and curling the fingers down over it into a fist.

The foundation noted that it's not a prompt to call authorities or do anything on the victim's behalf, only to check in on them in a safe way. That could mean sending a subtle text, or calling and asking questions that allow for yes or no answers.

According to Crime Stoppers, some common signs that a person could be suffering abuse at home include: