Family Violence and COVID-19: The Pandemic Within the Pandemic

Early in the pandemic, various parties expressed fear of an increase in family violence (FV)-especially against women and children-due to COVID-19 containment measures that intensified known risk factors for FV (e.g. social isolation, women being pushed back into traditional gender roles) while reducing options for support. In many countries like Italy, France or Australia, this fear came true. However, whether or not the pandemic had an impact on FV in Switzerland is still a matter of debate. Nothing is known about possible long-term effects. Adopting an intersectional and intergenerational approach to FV, the proposed research project will study short-, medium- and long-terms effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on FV and develop recommendations for violence prevention measures in times of pandemic that go beyond the individual level and consider the interaction of structural and interpersonal violence.The project has three objectives: (1) monitor and document the development of FV during the pandemic; (2) analyse the impact of pandemic-related public health measures on the dynamics of FV and victims' help-seeking. With this, we aim to learn more about the dynamics of different types of FV (e.g. child maltreatment, intimate partner violence) during different phases of the pandemic for various groups to better understand the complex interplay of proximate and distal risk and protective factors that make some families more vulnerable to violence and others more resilient. Further, we will identify perceived barriers to and facilitators of victims' help-seeking during the pandemic and (3) develop evidence-based pandemic-specific recommendations for primary, secondary and tertiary FV prevention with different stakeholders to strengthen families and better protect victims of FV in times of pandemic. The project thus focusses on supporting both individual welfare and collective welfare, as FV also affects society as a whole (e.g. through health costs, productivity loss).To achieve the project's three objectives, we combine qualitative and quantitative methods, taking perspectives from different stakeholders into account: (1) To monitor the development of FV, we will gather and analyse multisectoral administrative data (e.g. police crime statistics) and self-report survey data on FV prevalence in pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic years. (2) To understand the dynamics of and typological differences in FV, we will conduct narrative interviews with members of families in different language regions of Switzerland exhibiting different risk and protective factors for FV (n = approx. 48) to reconstruct various conflict and violence dynamics. We will identify facilitating factors and barriers to victims' help-seeking and survey victims' assessment of the suitability and accessibility of different prevention measures. Further, selected results of the interview study will be tested via the self-report panel survey used to estimate FV prevalence (see above). (3) Based on these results, pandemic-specific recommendations regarding violence prevention measures will be developed in three steps: First, we will conduct a review of scientific literature and practice-based reports on suitability and accessibility of traditional and more innovative FV prevention measures during the pandemic. Second, we will conduct six focus groups with experts in different fields and language regions to learn about their experiences with violence prevention during the pandemic. Third, we will survey a larger sample of experts in various relevant fields and all language regions (n = approx. 400) to assess the recommendations derived from the analyses.The findings will enable federal and cantonal policymakers in different sectors to consider a possible increase in FV and its consequences for different population groups when implementing different containment measures and when developing strategies for violence prevention during the pandemic or when allocating funds to support families and victims of FV. Further, the findings can be used to develop strategies to increase family resilience and thus buffer negative (long-term) effects of the current and future pandemics. In addition, the findings will aid professionals working in related authorities, organisations and services in supporting victims in times of pandemic. The findings will also aid estimation of possible long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on FV and subsequent additional support needs of different population groups.