Have you been arrested in Pennsylvania over the last eighteen months for domestic abuse or violating a Protection from Abuse (PFA) order? You're not alone. Like a number of other crimes, from reckless driving to homicide, the rate of domestic violence calls has risen dramatically since the Covid-19 crisis began. During March through May of 2020, for example, that rate was up a full 7.5 percent.

Now a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research may have an explanation for this rise. According to the authors, the pandemic led to an increase in people drinking at home, alone, and that ultimately led to an increase in domestic abuse.

The Findings

As the researchers point out, a wealth of scientific evidence exists linking drinking to increased violence. In this case, research focused on how a shift in drinking habits might affect the nature of that violence. Researchers were especially interested in what would happen as, in response to the pandemic, governments imposed restrictions and forced restaurants and bars to close their doors. What would be the effect of drinking under stressful conditions, alone and in close quarters?

Prior to the pandemic, liquor stores made up just 30 percent of all visits to alcohol establishments. That number shifted dramatically, to over 70 percent, in the spring of 2020. In short, more people were drinking at home rather than in social situations where there might be a check on their behaviors.

The study focused specifically on the city of Detroit. The researchers used data from Safegraph, a company that tracks cell phone use by geographic location, to pinpoint individual visits to liquor stores. This information was then correlated with 911 calls to suggest how frequently domestic abuse calls occurred in a neighborhood just after someone bought alcohol. Focusing on zip codes, the researchers found that a ten percent increase in sales brought almost a 1 percent increase in domestic violence incidents.

The Implications

In the end, this research seems to indicate that drinking alone may be a particularly dangerous pastime. The researchers note that once the pandemic is over, this finding may have some important implications about how governments regulate bars.

More broadly, though, the study suggests that the pandemic may have led many people down an especially dark path. If drinking alone leads to worse behavior than drinking in bars, and the pandemic made it virtually impossible to drink at bars, then from a social standpoint, the rise in domestic violence, like the rise in the unemployment rate, may simply have been out of our control.

LLF Law Firm can Help

If you were arrested for domestic abuse or for violating a PFA during the pandemic, call LLF Law Firm. Intoxication can be an important part of your defense, but you need a skilled attorney to make sense of the law. Our team has unparalleled experience dealing with domestic abuse cases, and we know the law inside and out. We'll stand by your side from start to finish and make sure you get the very best possible outcome.

Contact LLF Law Firm at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.