The stay-at-home policy instituted to curb the spread of the coronavirus has exacerbated intimate partner violence (IPV). The pandemic has shown the extent of this problem and magnified it further. Before the lockdown, the victims, who are mostly women, could get away from their abusers by going to work or attending social events. However, being in full or partial lockdown gives the perpetrators round-the-clock access to their partners (AgĂĽero, 2021). The policy and other restrictions to interacting outside of the household have intensified the risk factors for intimate partner violence such as poverty and alcohol use.
Poverty is one of the key structural issues that causes IPV. Although all social classes record IPV, low-income people register higher rates. The increase in domestic violence during the pandemic could be attributed to increased poverty rates. Many people have lost their jobs or other sources of income. According to Alvarez and Bachman, the stress of being poor, fewer opportunities, and lack of economic resources can all exacerbate IPV (Alvarez & Bachman, 2019). Although the full economic impact of COVID-19 is not yet known, it is evident that it has negatively affected many households in terms of income. Being at a worse financial position than before might drive some people to direct their frustrations towards their partners through violence.
Alcohol use has also been identified as a factor that facilitates IPV. It can make people who are usually violent by nature more violent by acting as a disinhibitor. Additionally, alcohol allows individuals to misbehave without taking responsibility (Alvaro & Bachman, 2019). During the pandemic, alcohol use has increased partly because people are at home longer than usual. It could also be because mental health has been on the decline and people resort to drinking as a coping mechanism. Binge drinking could trigger factors, such as inflated sense of power, that contribute to IPV. As a recommendation, the criminal justice system should treat intimate partner violence as a serious crime and actively seek to stop it.
References
AgĂĽero J. M. (2021). COVID-19 and the rise of intimate partner violence. World Development, 137. Web.
Alvarez, A., & Bachman, R. D. (2019). Chapter 5: Violence in the home. In Violence: The enduring problem (3rd ed., pp. 155-158). Sage Publications.