The Earned Income Tax Credit and Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem in the United States with adverse consequences for affected individuals and families. Recent reviews of the literature suggest that economic policies should be further investigated as part of comprehensive strategies to address IPV. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the nation’s largest anti-poverty program for working parents, and especially benefits low-income women with children, who experience an elevated risk of IPV. The EITC may prevent IPV by offering financial resources; such resources may help individuals experiencing IPV leave abusive relationships or address IPV risk factors, thereby preventing entry into abusive relationships. However, the association between EITC generosity and IPV has not been previously examined. We used state-level and individual-level datasets to examine the association between EITC generosity and IPV. Our state-level data source was the nationally representative National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS; N = ~ 95,000 households per year). For NCVS, we used a difference-in-difference approach to investigate the relationship between state EITC generosity and IPV rates. We also used individual-level longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (n = 13,422 person-waves). Using this cohort of US families at higher risk for IPV, we evaluated associations between estimated EITC benefits based on the mother’s state of residence and number of children and self-reported IPV. In both state- and individual-level analyses, no significant association between state EITC benefits and IPV was found. Factors that may account for these null findings include program ineligibility for individuals who separate from abusive spouses. Future research efforts should more closely examine EITC policy implementation processes and the lived experience of participating in anti-poverty programs for people experiencing IPV.

“There’s room to do more”: a mixed-methods study of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) diversion program and intimate partner violence in Georgia

“…Our quantitative findings suggest that TANF diversion in Georgia carries the potential to reduce IPV-related harms. These findings stand in contrast to the literature demonstrating the protective effects of ongoing cash assistance on IPV ( 11 , 16–26 ). Further investigation is necessary to determine whether TANF diversion is only reducing the escalation to death in incidences of IPV, or mitigating IPV more broadly.…”

“…In the context of contemporary American social policy, the effects of cash or near-cash transfers on IPV are less conclusive. While some studies have found that the Earned Income Tax Credit can improve the material well-being and relationship quality in low-income families ( 69 , 70 ), others have not observed a relationship between EITC and IPV ( 16 , 71 ). Relatedly, while studies in the early 2000s suggest that more generous TANF policies may be protective against IPV ( 72–75 ), a more recent analysis found that fewer TANF restrictions increased coercive victimization ( 23 ).…”

“…A nascent body of both peer-reviewed and gray literature demonstrates how economic policies (such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Section 8 housing vouchers, paid family leave, pandemic stimulus payments, and cash assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program) can serve as primary and secondary prevention tools against various forms of violence (11, [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. Such efforts are critical for intervening early and curtailing violence before it begins or interrupting a cycle of violence.…”

Economic hardship and intimate partner violence: An analysis of perpetrators in Germany

“…Hammett et al (2021) find only small main effects of socioeconomic factors on IPV, but a moderating effect on the relationship between psychological and physical IPV perpetration among men. Moreover, results are mixed regarding the effects of economic policies targeted toward low-income families, such as minimum wage and income tax credits, on women's IPV experience (Edmonds et al, 2021;R. A. Spencer et al, 2020).…”

Screening and intervention for intimate partner violence at trauma centers and emergency departments: an evidence-based systematic review from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma

“…Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern affecting as many as 23% of women and 14% of men in the USA, and has highly consequential adverse effects on the physical, psychosocial and emotional well-being of those injured and their families. [1][2][3] IPV takes many forms, including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in addition to other types of abuse such as stalking, financial control, and/or psychological harm from a current or former partner. IPV does not always involve a sexual relationship.…”