Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.6
2.5
Journals
Behavioral Sciences
Special Issues
Domestic Violence during and after the Lockdown: The Shadow Pandemic
share announcement

Domestic Violence during and after the Lockdown: The Shadow Pandemic

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 10107

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lisa Chiara Fellin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy
Interests: domestic/family violence and abuse; coercive control; institutional violence and secondary victimization
Prof. Dr. Arlene Louise Vetere

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Family Therapy, Faculty of Social Work, VID Specialized University, P.O. Box 184 Oslo, Norway
Interests: family violence; trauma theory; attachment theory; polyvagal theory

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 has significantly affected many aspects of our lives and has had a dramatic effect on a global DVA/ IPV upsurge as well, leading the WHO, alarmingly, to name it the Shadow Pandemic. Being forced to be in the same enclosed place, social isolation, and multiple related stressors, including financial challenges, has led to an increase in abusive behaviours, as well as gender violence and crimes. Indeed, several studies found that pandemic lockdowns had an exacerbating effect on IPV rates worldwide. Similarly, domestic violence support and emergency services experienced a significant increase in calls and requests for help. This caused an additional strain on services already under major stress and with limited capacities and investment. We are looking for contributions from different fields and methodologies addressing new challenges, as well as proposed solutions, related to this dramatic increase in domestic violence rates at a time of further reduced capacity of service providers (health, police, social care, legal advisors, courts, charities, etc.).

Dr. Lisa Chiara Fellin
Prof. Dr. Arlene Louise Vetere
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • domestic violence and abuse
  • intimate partner violence
  • COVID-19
  • pandemic
  • shadow pandemic
  • gender-based violence
  • violence

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
Differential Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence during COVID-19: A Cross-Regional Study in Mexico
by Sofia Navarrete Zur and Paola M. Sesia
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(4), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040331 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2061
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on a marked increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) worldwide, Mexico being no exception. Factors that exacerbated gender-based violence (GBV) in the household during the pandemic include gendered loss of income, regression in access to social and legal justice [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on a marked increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) worldwide, Mexico being no exception. Factors that exacerbated gender-based violence (GBV) in the household during the pandemic include gendered loss of income, regression in access to social and legal justice resources, reversal to more traditional gender norms and roles, and increased alcoholism. While there are studies about the prevalence and determinants of IPV in rural and urban Mexico, there appears to be a lack of information regarding how these realities differed as they interacted with the compounding pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stemming from 10 ethnographic interviews with women across rural and urban localities of Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Mexico State, who were recruited from NGOs providing psychological and legal services against GBV, we analyze some factors associated with the prevalence of IPV during confinement. We conclude that all women in our study experienced IPV both before and during the pandemic, with variations in IPV patterns influenced by their rural or urban residence, socio-economic status, ethnic-racial identity, and proximity to the abuser’s network. We also found that not all impacts were negative, rather COVID-19 measures had a paradoxical effect for some women where restrictions on geographical mobility and decrease in access to alcohol became pivotal protective factors. We recommend that public policymakers and civil society organizations alike pay attention to these differential challenges and benefits in their crisis responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Violence during and after the Lockdown: The Shadow Pandemic)
14 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
Dating Violence and Emotional Dependence in University Students
by Mayra Castillo-Gonzáles, Santiago Mendo-Lázaro, Benito León-del-Barco, Emilio Terán-Andrade and Víctor-María López-Ramos
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14030176 - 24 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2687
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between dating violence and emotional dependence in young university students in Ecuador by identifying differences based on sex. Using purposive non-probabilistic sampling, 3203 students were selected, of which 35.7% were men and 64.3% [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between dating violence and emotional dependence in young university students in Ecuador by identifying differences based on sex. Using purposive non-probabilistic sampling, 3203 students were selected, of which 35.7% were men and 64.3% were women aged 16 to 48 (M = 21.50; SD = 2.82). Two psychological scales were applied: Questionnaire on Violence in Couples (CUVINO) and Questionnaire on Emotional Dependence (EDQ). According to the results obtained, based on sex, it was found that dating violence is a severe problem that both men and women experience. With regard to emotional dependence, women scored higher than men. In addition, emotional dependence was linked to dating violence. The implications of the results obtained for further research and for prevention and intervention programmes are presented, and the strengths and limitations of this study are detailed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Violence during and after the Lockdown: The Shadow Pandemic)
25 pages, 1575 KiB  
Article
Is It Safe Enough? An IPA Study of How Couple Therapists Make Sense of Their Decision to Either Stop or Continue with Couple Therapy When Violence Becomes the Issue
by Jan Frode Snellingen, Pål Erik Carlin and Arlene Vetere
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(1), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14010037 - 5 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2365
Abstract
Background: Couple therapists will encounter couple violence in their practice at some point. In this context, one of the main questions they must address is whether to continue with conjoint sessions. This study explores how couple therapists make sense of their decision whether [...] Read more.
Background: Couple therapists will encounter couple violence in their practice at some point. In this context, one of the main questions they must address is whether to continue with conjoint sessions. This study explores how couple therapists make sense of their decision whether or not to continue with conjoint sessions when violence has become an issue. Methods: This qualitative study used four semi-structured focus groups and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data from the twelve experienced couple therapist participants. Results: Our IPA analysis led to three main group experiential themes across the focus groups: (1) Is it safe enough? (2) Do we have a joint and regenerative project? (3) Three key sources for sense making. Conclusion: Partner violence challenges the realm of couple therapy. This article explored how the couple therapists orient themselves and grapple with decision making when violence becomes an issue. The article offers unique insights regarding what the therapists orient themselves towards and how they try to form an impression of whether to continue conjoint sessions. We outline immediate clinical implications and propose measures for building individual and organisational capacity regarding “clinical sense making”. Suggestions for further research are also addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Violence during and after the Lockdown: The Shadow Pandemic)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 472 KiB  
Article
COVID-19-Related Stress and Its Association with Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimization
by Brooke Keilholtz, Chelsea Spencer, Summer Vail and Megan Palmer
Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(7), 593; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13070593 - 15 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1522
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive issue, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been speculated that the prevalence rates of IPV increased. This paper aims to understand how pandemic-specific distress was related to experiencing and perpetrating IPV. Using self-reported survey data [...] Read more.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive issue, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been speculated that the prevalence rates of IPV increased. This paper aims to understand how pandemic-specific distress was related to experiencing and perpetrating IPV. Using self-reported survey data from 371 individuals living in the United States, this study used multiple logistic regressions to examine how reports of distress related to working from home, working outside the home, isolation, stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, physical and mental health, finances, interpersonal relationships, taking care of children, and online learning for children, as well as reports of partner conflict regarding COVID-19, were associated with physical, psychological, and sexual IPV perpetration and victimization. Our results indicated that distress related to family relationships, taking care of children, and COVID-19 as a source of conflict were all associated with an increased risk of IPV victimization, while distress related to mask mandates and friendships was associated with a decreased risk. Distress related to physical health, family relationships, taking care of children, and COVID-19 being a source of conflict were associated with an increased risk of IPV perpetration, while distress related to mental health and friendships was associated with a decreased risk. Implications for researchers and clinicians are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Domestic Violence during and after the Lockdown: The Shadow Pandemic)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop