From the THE MARSHALL PROJECT

Interpreting the sound of silence. A spate of recent stories suggest that domestic violence is rising across the country as couples shelter in place and victims are placed in close and consistent confinement with their abusers. But a review of data from three cities—Chicago; Austin, Texas; and Chandler, Arizona—suggests a more complex reality. Domestic abuse reports are not dropping as much as crime overall, and some of the abuse reported is more violent. Moreover, some accused abusers are being released because of fears they may be infected by coronavirus. TMP’s Weihua Li and Beth Schwartzapfel parse the data and the nuances of domestic violence during a pandemic.