A study published in BMCPublicHealth investigates the effect of social distancing on the lives of women experiencing intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and the need to improve safety plans for victims in global emergencies.
A group of participants said that they felt there were missed opportunities to intervene to divert the course of their experience of abuse during the pandemic. As one participant explained, she had interacted with the police on two occasions during the lockdown. On the first encounter the police officers did not take any action, but at the second police visit she was signposted to several forms of support and given the contact details of the officer, which helped her feel supported.
Remote consultations created a barrier for support professionals to be able to pick up on nuances when participants were trying to communicate that their partner they were living with was being abusive, as one participant described of her interactions with a health visitor: Some participants that were interacting with formal services described feeling as though they were receiving a low standard of care because the behaviour that they needed to change was not being addressed:
“It was really difficult. I used to go to… domestic violence groups, and meet other women… And we used to have breakfast clubs in the morning… And I loved it. It was the place where I could actually meet other women like me… And then it all went overnight.” ID14, aged 20–29, single, no children, living in temporary accommodation.
As one participant explained, this meant having to live in an abusive situation for longer than they would have wanted: Other participants said that neighbours around them knew of the abuse occurring during lockdown but did not intervene, perhaps because of the lockdown situation: “I think I did have this empty space, when my ex left. Empty, like I’d spent a lot of time worrying about this relationship, for the past five years, and expending a lot of energy on it… a fourth of my brain was probably engaged in dealing with that situation, and now that situation was gone.
For some participants, one consequence of not feeling in control was the adoption of riskier behaviours, such as undertaking sex work that conflicted with their boundaries or entering situations with strangers that they knew posed dangers during the pandemic. Others said they sought out harmful relationships that they knew were unhealthy, as a salve for their emotional wellbeing and to help cope with loneliness.
“When we went into the first lockdown, I was still strong. People were going, ‘oh God, this is awful.’ I just said, ‘welcome to my world.’ This is what I've lived like… Locked in, not seeing anybody, keeping my distance… I have self-isolated [for years] to be safe, mentally, for my own self.” ID2, aged 60–69, single, no children, living alone.
Although many participants described situations during the pandemic where their support needs were not being met, there were some cases where support was sought and provided in a meaningful, timely and helpful fashion. As one participant described, she was referred to an organisation who provided links with a range of services that she needed at the time:
Some participants described new ways of accessing support during the pandemic. Social media provided an outlet to talk about DA with existing social contacts, share information about DA support, and join groups for social support. “Before, I didn’t look after myself. Well, I did, but I didn’t prioritise my own self-care. So, prioritising the children, working, obviously in the abusive relationship I was made to prioritise him, which thankfully is not an issue anymore. But the pandemic has made me view the self-care thing better.” ID13, aged 30–39, single, parent, living with children.
“It’s doing mindful things, where your brain is not distracted by the unwanted thoughts… Appreciating sunshine and the weather. I keep a positive diary… So, every day, I ended up putting positive things in it… So, that was good. And again, these are things which I suppose I've carried through from before.” ID2, aged 60–69, single, no children, living alone.
For many who had been confined to their homes during lockdown and simultaneously experiencing abuse, the lifting of lockdown brought with it an extraordinary sense of freedom and confidence.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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