Supporting Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Survivors During Emergencies or Disasters

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of children and families. The American Academy of Pediatrics, in collaboration with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC), and Futures Without Violence, developed a project to expand and strengthen the capacity, collaboration, and coordination of pediatric health care providers and service agencies to identify and support children and women at risk for exposure to violence during the ongoing response to COVID-19.

The characteristics associated with the stress, uncertainty and fear generated during a pandemic event can create an environment that facilitates the perpetration of violence against vulnerable populations. ​Emerging evidence demonstrates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation measures such as shelter-in-place orders on risk for violence in the home. Shelter-in-place orders have created challenges to identify families at risk and the ability to provide services. As shelter-in-place orders are lifted, many families remain at risk for violence in the home, with limited access to social support.

Further, the pandemic has compounded this adversity for children during a time of additional stressors for families. Pediatric health care providers are well positioned to engage these families and connect them with resources within their communitiesy. Resources are provided here are based on the project’s findings to support families experiencing violence during the pandemic and recovery.

This project was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number, NU38OT000282, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.