Did parental overburden, job loss or crowded spaces trigger violence during lockdowns in Tuscany?

What is it about?

This paper examines intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Tuscany, Italy. It looks at three possible triggers generated by lockdowns: job loss affecting either partner, the extra demands of parenting while children under 18 were at home, and being confined in crowded spaces by stay-at-home orders. The study found that parental overburden was the strongest trigger while job loss played a limited role. Also, no clear link was found between partner violence and being confined at home in crowded spaces. Across types of violence, more than one-third of women perceived the abuse to have worsened during the lockdown. The study mainly used a representative telephone survey of women aged 18–75 who lived with a partner during the lockdowns. Face to face interviews with women who experienced abuse were also used to help explain the findings.

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Photo by Ansis Kančs on Unsplash

Photo by Ansis Kančs on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Lockdown policies greatly changed everyday life inside households. This study suggests that preventing partner violence during future crises should not focus only on protecting jobs and incomes. School closures, home-schooling and increased childcare responsibilities may also place the relation between partners under severe pressure The study also shows that it matters how partner violence is measured. Looking only at whether violence occurred may produce different conclusions from considering how severe or widespread the abuse was. These findings can help governments and support services plan responses to future pandemic-like emergencies. They also show the importance of accounting for severity in designing current responses.