Crisis Work Embedded in a Global Crisis: The Early Phase Impact of COVID-19 on Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Service Provisions

Abstract

COVID-19, as a global pandemic, was a public health inflection point for individuals affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) and those who provide IPV services. Public health guidelines that were intended to reduce risk of exposure to the virus impacted vulnerability factors for IPV survivors and associated systems of services. We aimed to (1) explore the effect of COVID-19 on survivors of IPV; (2) assess the effect of COVID-19 on IPV-related service provisions and service providers; and (3) explore challenges and opportunities in the wake of COVID-19 on broader IPV services and advocacy. Method: Twelve directors of IPV shelter, criminal justice, and other advocacy services within a diverse, Midwestern metropolitan area were recruited to participate in in-depth, semi-structured interviews in June–August 2020. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Dedoose. Data were coded and analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: Four major themes, contextualized by COVID-19 and racial injustice, emerged from the data analysis: (1) IPV-related trends; (2) impact on IPV survivors, services, and agency morale; (3) inter-agency collaborations; and (4) future opportunities for innovative service delivery. Gaps and opportunities for developing culturally congruent, trauma-informed services were identified. Conclusion: Findings suggest that responsive and accessible IPV resources and associated advocacy services can make the difference between life and death for survivors.

“It's Like Being a Parent at Work”: Antiviolence Frontline Work, Boundaries, and Intimacy During COVID-19

“…As our findings above demonstrate—and in alignment with similar studies (Garcia et al, 2022; Lipp & Johnson, 2022; Murugan et al 2022; Renov et al, 2022; Shadik et al, 2023; Toros et al, 2023)—street-level bureaucrats in the antiviolence sector faced nearly identical pandemic-era challenges across regional and temporal contexts. We hesitate to think in terms of universality (and what that categorization might flatten) but want to emphasize the power of this similarity for solidarity.…”

Domestic Violence in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Synthesis of Systematic Reviews

“…There have been few primary studies on this topic, which might explain this ( Garcia et al, 2022 ). Several emerging studies, however, have examined the early-phase impacts of COVID-19 on domestic and family violence service provisions in multiple countries ( Carrington et al, 2021 ; Johnson et al, 2020 ; Murugan et al, 2022 ). These studies explored the views and experiences of service providers and practitioners on how they have adapted to changes in DV service delivery during COVID-19.…”

“…A brief review of the available studies revealed that four major service adaptations and changes have occurred across countries as a result of COVID-19, involving the shift toward remote service provision ( Carrington et al, 2021 ; Cortis et al, 2021 ; Riddell & Haighton, 2022 ; Sapire et al, 2022 ; Voth Schrag et al, 2022 ; Wood et al, 2022 ), a reduction in overall service capacity ( Cortis et al, 2021 ; Wood et al, 2022 ), inter-agency collaborations ( Garcia et al, 2022 ; Murugan et al, 2022 ; Riddell & Haighton, 2022 ), and the provision of limited DV services to historically oppressed or marginalized groups ( Garcia et al, 2022 ; Sapire et al, 2022 ).…”

Taking Care at Work: Gender, Coping, and Anti-Violence Work During COVID-19

“…(interview 11/25/20) There was a belief that if service providers did not provide this aid for clients, no one would. Especially given their client base-some of whom were undocumented or non-native English speakers-this extra labor and its risks were easily rationalized away due to the reality of COVID-19 supports ignoring already marginalized populations (Murugan et al, 2022;Page & Flores-Miller, 2021;Tsui et al, 2022).…”