In the Shadow of COVID-19: The Invisibility of Children’s Experiences of Violence in Homes During the Pandemic

Abstract

AbstractThe invisibility of children and their wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic became an early issue of global concern. The UN and specialist children’s services raised concerns at the outset of the pandemic that children may be the biggest victims of COVID-19 restrictions, due to their exacerbated vulnerability and invisibility associated with added household stressors and wide-ranging closures of education and childcare settings. Despite this, globally the policy discourse around violence in the home and the role of pandemic-related restrictions in increased risk and decreased detection remained overwhelmingly adult-focused. This chapter explores children’s experiences and their invisibility throughout the first two years of the pandemic. Emerging evidence highlights the critical need to ensure attention is paid to children’s experiences of violence in the home during the pandemic, and to their related recovery needs going forward.