Estimating the impact of SNAP, WIC, and UI in the primary prevention of multiple forms of family violence: a causal and computational approach

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Child and family violence are prevalent, costly, and serious public health problems which have been linked to household economic stress, which has also been greatly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Supporting household income and reducing food insecurity during periods of under- or unemployment (including the pandemic) may prevent multiple forms of family violence, improving the health, safety, and well-being of children and women. The objective of the proposed research is to rigorously evaluate the impacts of three large, yet under-studied economic assistance programs-the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Unemployment Insurance (UI)- on the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect (CAN) and intimate partner violence (IPV) during the 2001- 2020 period. Each of these programs has seen significant changes and emergency adjustments during the Covid-19 pandemic, making it critical for public health policy to understand what impacts these programs have on child and family violence and economic stability. Although these programs are not designed as violence prevention tools, theoretical and empirical research clearly indicates that economic supports have the potential to meaningfully impact child and family violence. We will analyze these programs in context of the broader safety net (e.g., Medicaid expansion, state EITC) to study heterogeneous and interactions effects of policies within and across states. Using robust methods, multiple novel data sources, and outstanding institutional resources, our multidisciplinary team will rigorously evaluate the impacts of the SNAP, WIC, and UI programs as primary prevention for IPV and CAN through three interrelated aims: 1) Measure how access to SNAP and WIC and benefit generosity impacts child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence in the pre-COVID and COVID-eras. 2) Determine whether COVID-era revisions to the UI program that improved access and generosity provided additional protections to women and children, relative to the pre-COVID era. 3) Provide key contextual data for implementation of policy impacts found in Aims 2 and 3 by assessing the responsiveness of the broader safety net as a tool for primary prevention of violence against women and children. Findings from the proposed research will advance the scientific literature on SNAP, WIC, UI, and safety net programs as potential tools for the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect, and intimate partner violence. We will disseminate accessible, evidence-based scientific findings for a variety of general and research audiences through policy briefs, social media, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed journal publications. The national reach and state variation of these programs creates a key potential opportunity to improve violence prevention, health equity, and well-being. By increasing our understanding of existing programs, this research will help scientists and the public health community to learn more about how economic policy interacts with health and social outcomes.