[ad_1]
The study found that assault among American couples was 6 to 8 times higher due to the pandemic, with physical assault increasing from 2 acts per year pre-pandemic to 15 acts per year after shelter restrictions on the spot began, and the psychological aggression rising from 16 acts per year to 96 acts per year. The results reveal that pandemic stress was strongly associated with the perpetration of intimate partner assault, even among those considered to be at low risk.
“If you think about it, this [increase] represents a huge change in people’s daily lives, ”said Dominic Parrott, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Interpersonal Violence Research, and lead author of the study. “It’s the difference between having a bad fight with your partner once a month and twice a week.”
At the height of shelter-in-place orders in the United States, in April 2020, researchers recruited 510 participants and asked them questions about their community both before the pandemic and after the onset of COVID-19. Participants answered questions about stressors related to COVID-19, physical and psychological aggression towards their partner and excessive alcohol consumption.
“People were suddenly under tremendous stress, and we were relatively sure it increased aggression and violence,” Parrott said. “There is data showing that after natural disasters, for example, when basic resources are lost and people have to live nearby, intimate partner violence increases. Our fundamental goal was to document what was happening in the aftermath of the pandemic. “
Rates of intimate partner aggression were high among heavy drinkers, but it appears that non-heavy drinkers were most affected by stress from COVID: the association between physical aggression after the onset of the pandemic and stress from COVID-19 was more apparent in people who consumed fewer drinks per day. However, the results indicate that it is essential to focus on the couples’ acute and chronic stress, regardless of their average alcohol consumption.
“People who are not heavy drinkers can prevent stress from affecting their relationships under normal circumstances, but we hypothesized that the extreme events of the pandemic could change that. And that’s how the data played out, ”Parrott said. “Pandemic stress didn’t really tip the scales towards violence among heavy drinkers, but for non-heavy drinkers, all bets were off. “
Policies designed to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic, such as economic relief programs or policies providing increased access to health care, can reduce stress and the perpetration of intimate partner assaults, according to the authors of the report. ‘study.
“Most people wouldn’t think of intimate partner violence as a reason for offering an economic relief program, but our data suggests that it has the potential to be an effective measure,” Parrott explained. “The data also suggests that typical high-risk groups are not the only ones at risk of committing acts of violence in this type of crisis environment. The stress of the pandemic is so deep and pervasive that you need interventions or policies that hit large swathes of the population. “
Learn more about recognize and address intimate partner violence while obtaining CE credits.
Reference
1. Georgia State University. COVID-19 pandemic linked to an increase in assaults between intimate partners, study finds. Press release. August 16, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2021. https://news.gsu.edu/2021/08/16/covid-19-pandemic-linked-to-an-increase-in-intimate-partner-aggression-study – shows /? utm_source = press-release & utm_medium = meltwater & utm_campaign = health-wellness & utm_term = pandemic-linked-to-an-increase-in-intimate-partner-aggression
Source link
