One of the issues that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is an increase in domestic violence around the world.
The UN recently reported on the statistics from thirteen different countries, and how the increase in domestic violence has adversely impacted the mental health of women and girls, referring to it as a “shadow epidemic.”
Israel is taking steps to improve the protections and outcomes in situations of domestic violence. They recently enacted a new law that enables courts to order treatment plans in tandem with protective orders
The Law authorizes the court to require the named person to commit to a domestic violence treatment program to be administered by a body determined by the court. Treatment may be ordered only after the court has received a report by a social worker in accordance with the requirements of the Law. (§ 2 A.)
According to the explanatory notes of the Bill for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (Amendment No. 19 – Temporary Order) (Treatment Order), 2020, however, “only several dozen violent men have been referred for treatment” since the authorization for the issue of treatment orders was enacted. Statistics published by the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry in November 2021 show an increase in calls to the ministry’s domestic violence hotline in 2021. The Amendment Law is designed to facilitate implementation and compliance with domestic violence treatment orders.