How the transmission of Covid-19 is affecting the service for victims of domestic violence

The transmission of Covid-19 has put Sweden in a new situation with unique challenges for the society and its population. Based on the restrictions and exhortation to stay at home during transmission of Covid-19, concern has been increased about the pandemics potential impact on domestic violence. Newspapers all around the world post warning signs for increased phone calls to social services and hotlines from women who are exposed to domestic violence. Focusing on the Swedish context, this thesis has inquired workers at social services and women's shelters who in particular support and help women, who are victims of domestic violence. The data collection has been focused on how they work with the women during the transmission of Covid-19 to get an understanding of how this might affect their day to day work. The data have been collected through semi-structured interviews and have been analysed through qualitative content analysis. The data has shown that the work has been affected in several ways: with social distance, physical distance in treatment, decreased preventive work, difficulties to reach the women who are controlled by their perpetrators, and the general work in the field with cooperation with other agencies