Couple Conflict and Intimate Partner Violence during the Early Lockdown of the Pandemic: The Good, the Bad, or Is It Just the Same in a North Carolina, Low-Resource Population?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced couples to navigate illness-related stressors and unique public health responses, including extended lockdowns. This study focused on under-resourced North Carolina residents (n = 107) who self-reported changes in relationship conflict (Increased, Decreased, Stayed the Same) and intimate partner violence (IPV) during the pandemic. We expected high rates of increased conflict and IPV since the start of the pandemic. We then sought to determine the associations between dyadic changes in conflict and reports of IPV and pandemic-related experiences and responses. Participants completed a brief online survey assessing their demographics, COVID-19 exposure/stressors, and pandemic responses. As expected, reports of increased couple conflict were related to difficulties getting needed social support, loss of health insurance, more fear and worry, stress, pain, and greater use of alcohol and/or illicit drugs, related to the coronavirus. Participants reporting increased conflict were also more likely to be unemployed. Conversely, reports of decreased conflict were associated with being ill from the virus (48.9%), having health insurance, and working part time. Substantial amounts of IPV were reported (62.2% of the sample); however, increased conflict and IPV were unrelated. Those reporting No IPV were less likely to be receiving public assistance but more likely to have home responsibilities due to the virus. They also reported increased social interactions and less use of alcohol than those reporting IPV perpetration. Findings highlight key associations among pandemic experiences and responses, IPV, and couple functioning in an under-resourced sample. Efforts to facilitate coping, resilience, and tolerating uncertainty may facilitate cooperative and safe couple functioning throughout the pandemic.

The Social and Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Family Functioning and Well-Being: Where do we go from here?

“…In March 2020, calls to domestic violence hotline in Spain increased 10.5% and online requests increased 182.93% and in Italy requests for help to the anti-violence centers increased by 75% percent as compared to the same period the previous year (Donato, 2020 ). In the UK, calls and contacts to the Helpline during the lockdown averaged a 66% increase weekly compared to the pre COVID-19 period (Gibson, 2020 ; Langhinrichsen-Rohling et al, 2022 ) investigated the potential risk factors that contributed to incidences of couple conflict and intimate partner violence focusing on a group of lower-income residents in North Carolina. Unexpectedly, the majority of the participants did not report an increase, However, the participants who did report an increase were more likely to be unemployed, and also reported having difficulty getting needed social support and losing their health insurance.…”

Intimate partner violence during COVID-19: Demographic and economic correlates of survivor experiences.

“…Community and societal impacts of COVID-19 are also commonly shared with IPV victimization, including economic and housing instability. A disproportionate number of people victimized by IPV also experience poverty (Goodman et al, 2009;Langhinrichsen-Rohling et al, 2022) and homelessness (E. N. Adams et al, 2021). Economic and housing instability are both an outcome of and a significant risk for IPV.…”

“…Strain in relationships from increased contact during stay-at-home orders and from financial and housing impacts of COVID-19 likely contributed to increased IPV rates (Usta et al, 2021). Additionally, couples experiencing difficulty getting needed social and economic supports, such as health care, may have led to increased conflict in relationships during COVID-19 (Langhinrichsen-Rohling et al, 2022; Wood et al, 2022). While rising rates may relate to physical and sexual IPV, emergent evidence also suggests increases in psychological violence and coercive control were probable during the first year of the pandemic (Boxall et al, 2020; Ragavan et al, 2022).…”