Association Between COVID-19 Lockdown Measures and Emergency Department Visits for Violence-Related Injuries in Cardiff, Wales

Government policy responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially social distancing measures, have generated speculation on behavioral health effects, including interpersonal violence, domestic violence, and child abuse.1 We investigated the association between COVID-19 lockdown and emergency department (ED) visits for violence-related injuries in Cardiff, Wales, using detailed violence screening for all ED patients.2 We hypothesized that lockdown measures would decrease violence outside the home but would increase violence at home.