Intimate Partner Violence
During COVID-19
Research Questions
How do ethnocultural influences impact the tolerance of physical intimate violence against women?
How does the presence of external support (either offered or sought out) influence the use of coping skills and mental health?
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as “behavior occurring within an intimate relationship resulting in physical, sexual, or psychological harm. This encompasses acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and controlling behaviors.” (World Health Organization, “Intimate Partner Violence”) Within the United States, intimate partner violence remains a critical issue, deeply influenced by cultural, socio-economic, law and institutional factors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, intimate partner violence has emerged as an even more severe issue. Building upon this idea, our project takes a two-pronged approach towards intimate partner violence against women throughout the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Our research explores how ethnocultural influences impact the tolerance of physical intimate partner violence against women.
Additionally, we further examine how external support systems, whether sought out or offered, affect coping skills and overall mental health. Tolerance of physical intimate partner violence against women can be closely intertwined with the willingness to seek external support, which is a behavior influenced by ethnocultural factors. Consequently, cultural norms may dictate an individual’s propensity to reach out for or accept help. By analyzing these factors, the study aims to understand the differential effects across various communities and the critical role of support networks during unprecedented crises. Our project relies on the dataset “Exploring Resilience Portfolios for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID Pandemic,” led by Laura Johnson from Temple University. This dataset, funded by the US Department of Justice, examines the impact of COVID-19 on intimate partner violence survivors’ resilience. We also incorporate data from The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2016/2017 State Report, which is a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data in the report provides detailed information on various forms of intimate partner violence, including physical, sexual, and psychological aggression across various states in the United States. These dataset are relevant to our topic because they give insights into the specific challenges that intimate partner violence survivors of different ethnicities faced throughout the pandemic, as well as the methods of coping they utilized.
From the literature about intimate partner violence consistently has a negative impact on women’s job stability and economic well-being, and the effects can have long term effects for years. COVID-19 has exacerbated these existing issues, including, social isolation, increased economic stress, and limited access to social support. However, some of the literature reveals the contradictions and diverse findings. While some of the studies indicate steady rate of IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic, some studies suggest that there is an increase in severity and incidence of IPV in previous non-abusive relationships, especially the marginalized groups. Bushra Sabri researched the immigrant women to the US, who are facing the unique IPV challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, including fear of deportation, lack of access to resources, and language barriers. The help-seeking behaviors among IPV victims show a delayed tendency, with a preference for community support over governmental or systemic interventions (Sabri et al. 2020). COVID-19 pandemic created environments for IPV, such as an increase in people working from home, which increased the time spent with abusers and decreased the chance to access the external support.
Scholars generally agree that intimate partner violence puts women of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds at risk and that there was no change in the frequency of IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many did find that certain groups were more vulnerable to IPV in terms of severity. For example, younger women, less educated women, poorer women, and women with a history of experiencing childhood abuse were more likely to experience intimate partner violence at a more severe scale as well as at a higher frequency (Thomson et al. 2006). Scholars also agree that there are long term effects as a result of experiencing IPV, especially with the increase in stress and overall unhappiness during the COVID-19 pandemic (Barbara et al. 2022). However, there is a lot more to be said about how women belonging to minority demographics are impacted differently from their white counterparts. How do we know that the data regarding white womens’ experiences with IPV are representative or similar to the experiences of women of color? The data most frequently represents the impact of intimate partner violence on white women of different economic status, so there is a lot of uncertainty in regards to how culture and systemic racial inequality can present differently in women of color (Cannon et al. 2021).
The exacerbation of intimate partner violence (IPV) towards women in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine is a critical issue that has been largely overlooked. As 2020 was a year marked by protests, quarantine, political, and economic turmoil, IPV has not been at the forefront of public concern. Therefore, through our research, we aspire to gain an understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated different forms of IPV–financial, emotional, and physical– so we can help understand the multifaceted nature of IPV and urgent need for diverse mental health resources. Through our research, we hope to illuminate the broader cultural expectations that perpetuate IPV and emphasize the continued impact of the pandemic on society today.
Despite comprising a significant proportion of the population of the United States, women of color are often underrepresented in American society, as is reflected by the majority of the surveyed demographic being comprised of white women. This is particularly apparent when in reference to topics of high social contention such as IPV. As a means to combat this, our project aims to illuminate the struggles of women of all ethnocultural backgrounds, as reported instances of intimate violence can often be disregarded as being part of cultural expectations of intimate relationships, in turn leading to reduced acknowledgement, awareness, and support of women of color in dangerous situations. By amplifying their voices, we aim to increase awareness about the prevalence of IPV across all intersectional identities with hopes of providing more support to those in need.
We further aim to highlight the pervasiveness of IPV against women regardless of their ethnic, sexual, or socioeconomic background. With a better understanding of both those who are supported and harmed by the current perception of IPV, systems can be implemented and adjusted to provide support to underrepresented communities. Ultimately, our goal is to foster a greater understanding of what IPV entails and to challenge the misconception that it is limited to physical violence, underscoring the significance of addressing financial and emotional abuse as well.