Dataset Information

Service provider perspectives on how COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions have affected intimate partner and sexual violence survivors in Canada: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic may increase risk of intimate partner and sexual violence and make relevant services less accessible. This study explored the perspectives of intimate partner and sexual violence workers across Canada on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the survivors with whom they work.

Methods

Using a qualitative descriptive design, we interviewed 17 management and frontline staff of organizations supporting survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence across Canada.

Results

We identified 4 themes that describe the impacts of COVID-19 on intimate partner and sexual violence survivors, from the perspective of service providers: (1) No escape; (2) Isolation; (3) Tough decisions; and (4) Heightened vulnerability. These narrative findings are presented first, followed by an analysis within a social determinants of health framework. Interpreting our findings against such a framework revealed a complex interplay of social determinants, notably social support, access to services, and poverty, that produced several challenges for intimate partner and sexual violence survivors during COVID-19.

Conclusion

According to service providers, intimate partner and sexual violence survivors in Canada faced several challenges during the pandemic, including reduced ability to escape their situations, increased isolation, increasingly complex decisions, and heightened vulnerability. Our findings demonstrate the critical need to adopt a broader, more holistic approach in tackling intimate partner and sexual violence by also addressing socioeconomic issues such as poverty and marginalization.

SUBMITTER: Michaelsen S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8996227 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Service provider perspectives on how COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions have affected intimate partner and sexual violence survivors in Canada: a qualitative study.

Michaelsen Sonia S Djiofack Hervé H Nombro Elisabeth E Ferlatte Olivier O Vissandjée Bilkis B Zarowsky Christina C

BMC women's health 20220411 1

<h4>Background</h4>The COVID-19 pandemic may increase risk of intimate partner and sexual violence and make relevant services less accessible. This study explored the perspectives of intimate partner and sexual violence workers across Canada on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the survivors with whom they work.<h4>Methods</h4>Using a qualitative descriptive design, we interviewed 17 management and frontline staff of organizations supporting survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence ...[more]

PMID: 35410209

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Project description:BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue that consists of physical, sexual, and psychological violence perpetrated by a current or former partner. Informal supporters (e.g., family and friends) of survivors are more often witness to IPV or are the first people a survivor will disclose abuse to and are more able to provide consistent ongoing support than professional services. Therefore, greater understanding of informal supporters is warranted to aid in reducing the risks experienced by survivors. This systematic review aimed to: (1) identify factors associated with either an increase or decrease in helping behaviour toward a survivor, (2), identify the most effective self-care strategies employed by informal supporters, and (3) consider the current theoretical approaches used to understand informal supporters help-giving behavioural intention.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The search included English language articles published between 2005 and 2021 in the databases Psych Articles, Scopus, Proquest Social Services Abstracts, and Ebscohost. Studies were included if the primary research aims explored the motivators and inhibitors of helping intention or self-care strategies of adult social network members of adult IPV survivors. Two reviewers independently screened all identified articles for inclusion suitability.ResultsOne hundred and twenty articles were subjected to full text screening resulting in 31 articles being identified as meeting inclusion criteria. Synthesis of the findings identified the following three key areas associated with help-giving behavioural intentions: normative factors, individual factors, and situational factors. There were no articles identified that considered self-care of informal supporters. Of the 31 articles, 22 had a theoretical underpinning. None of the utilised theories explained all three of the identified factors of help-giving behavioural intention.ConclusionThese results are integrated into a proposed Intimate Partner Violence Model of Informal Supporter Readiness (IPV-MISR), incorporating the identified factors associated with help-giving behavioural intention. This model provides a framework for conceptualising the readiness of an informal supporter to provide adequate support to IPV survivors. The model extends existing theoretical standpoints and has utility in both practice and research.

Project description:ImportanceTransgender and gender-diverse (TGD) communities experience disproportionate levels of violence, yet due to limitations in measuring TGD identity, few state-representative estimates are available.ObjectiveTo assess gender identity differences in experiences of violence among adults.Design, setting, and participantsCross-sectional data from the 2023 California Violence Experiences (CalVEX) survey, weighted to provide state-representative estimates, was used to assess associations between gender identity and past-year experiences of violence among adults 18 years and older. Data were analyzed from June to December 2023.ExposureGender identity (cisgender women, cisgender men, transgender women, transgender men, and nonbinary individuals).Main outcomes and measuresExperience of physical violence (including physical abuse and threat or use of a weapon), sexual violence (verbal sexual harassment, homophobic or transphobic slurs, cyber and physically aggressive sexual harassment, and forced sex), and intimate partner violence (IPV; emotional, physical, or sexual violence) using age-adjusted logistic regression.ResultsIn total 3560 individuals (weighted cumulative response rate, 5%) completed the 2023 CalVEX survey, with 1978 cisgender women, 1431 cisgender men, 35 transgender women, 52 transgender men, and 64 nonbinary respondents (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [17.5] years; 635 [17%] were Asian, 839 [37%] were Hispanic, and 1159 [37%] were White). Past-year physical violence was reported by 22 transgender men (43%), 9 transgender women (24%), and 9 nonbinary respondents (14%). Past-year sexual violence was reported by 23 transgender men (42%), 11 transgender women (14%), and 31 nonbinary respondents (56%). Compared with cisgender women, transgender women and transgender men had greater risk of past-year physical violence (any form) (transgender women adjusted incidence rate ratio [AIRR], 6.7; 95% CI, 2.5-18.2; transgender men AIRR, 9.7; 95% CI, 5.3-17.7), as well as past-year IPV (any form) (transgender women AIRR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.3-8.0; transgender men AIRR, 6.7; 95% CI, 4.0-11.3). Relative to cisgender women, transgender men (AIRR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.7-5.1) and nonbinary respondents (AIRR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.1-5.2) had greater risk of past-year sexual violence (any form).Conclusions and relevanceIn this survey study of adults in California, results showed that TGD individuals, especially transgender men, are at higher risk of experiencing all forms of violence relative to cisgender women. Results highlight the need for gender-affirming violence prevention and intervention services as well as policies that protect TGD individuals from discriminatory violence.

Dataset Information

Service provider perspectives on how COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions have affected intimate partner and sexual violence survivors in Canada: a qualitative study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Service provider perspectives on how COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions have affected intimate partner and sexual violence survivors in Canada: a qualitative study.

Similar Datasets

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