How did UK social distancing restrictions affect the lives of women experiencing intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative exploration of survivor views

Resumen

Background: An increase of domestic abuse cases was reported at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people living with abuse facing additional barriers to seeking support. Available evidence suggests women are overrepresented in the reported cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) and we aimed to learn more about how their lives were impacted by social distancing restrictions. Methods: We conducted a qualitative interview study, using reflexive thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted between April 2021 and March 2022. 18 women in the UK with past experiences of IPV provided informed consent and participated in this study. Results: We identified five themes related to the experiences of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on the lives of the participants. Firstly, lockdown meant being confined to a place where abuse was escalating in frequency and intensity. Participants described fear, isolation, and loss of control during the early stages of the pandemic from the combination of abuse and pandemic-related changes to daily life. However, psychosocial wellbeing and identity underwent a transformation when abuse ended during lockdown, with many participants using the word “freedom” when reflecting on their experience of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified key barriers that prevented access to support for IPV, including “cancelled” services and missed opportunities to intervene during interactions in lockdown with frontline workers. Paradoxically, some participants found other forms of support were more readily available, such as provision of online psychological support and social groups. Conclusions: In this study, we explored the views of female survivors of IPV in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results highlight the importance of combined public awareness campaigns and community intervention points for victims to safely seek help during social distancing restrictions. Having the time and space to reflect on healing after escaping abuse was described by women in our study as a benefit from their lives in lockdown, which is a factor that could be incorporated into future initiatives developed to support people subjected to violence and abuse.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

McKinlay, A., Simon, Y., May, T., Fancourt, D., & Burton, A. (2022). How did UK social distancing restrictions affect the lives of women experiencing intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative exploration of survivor views. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/d8rvk