PediatricDigest: [New post] A Pandemic Within a Pandemic

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A Pandemic Within a Pandemic

by adenikeanimasaun

What happens when the one place you're supposed to feel the safest, your home, actually turns into the opposite. One of the forgotten issues of the pandemic has been the increase in intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is defined as physical, emotional, psychological, or economic abuse and stalking or sexual harm by a current or former partner or spouse. People of all races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic classes, and religions experience IPV. When the pandemic first started, everyone was advised to work from home, social distance, and not leave their houses unless needed. While this might have helped slow the spread of COVID-19, it helped create an ideal condition for intimate partner violence. The social isolation of quarantining has left individuals spending more time at home with their aggressors. While we have all been so busy adapting to the new way of life many have been fighting for their lives in their own homes.

According to the CDC, 25% of women and 10% of men experience some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. According to U.S. crime reports, approximately 16% of all homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. The United Nations Population Fund estimates a 20% increase in IPV globally due to quarantines and lock downs. Some reason for this increase may be increased loss of jobs, lack of ability to pay for housing and food, and/or increased amount of time spent indoors which may exacerbate social and livelihood stresses. Increase social isolation has created an environment where victims cannot separate themselves from the aggressors. With many shelters and IPV survivor programs closed or also locked down, individuals fleeing abusive partners have no place to go.

So what can we do to combat this issue? First we must know that, most people who experience IPV do not seek help. Medical professionals have an opportunity to identify these patients in health care settings through screenings and to provide counseling and connect people with social services. We can urge the government to provide necessary assistances such as unemployment, food, rent or mortgage assistances, to help with these stressors that have been found to increase IPV during this pandemic. Also providing public awareness on resources to the broader community, community members, trusted friends, neighbors, and family members may be better able to connect those affected by IPV with resources, such as shelters, treatment intervention program, and therapeutic professionals (e.g., social workers, psychologists, etc.). We must also remember that "COVID doesn't make an abuser, but it can exacerbate it". Below is a table of ways to prevent abuse before it starts.