Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence and COVID Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Purpose Recent literature suggests the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on intimate partner violence (IPV) in the U.S. However, the examination of bidirectional IPV is needed. Bidirectional aggression is the most common form of IPV and is associated with more frequent and serious relationship violence. The current study examined COVID stress and pre-COVID bidirectional IPV as independent and interactive risk factors for IPV during COVID. Method Four hundred and eighty-four racially and ethnically diverse (31% white) women and men living with a romantic partner in the U.S. completed an online survey through the research platform Prolific. Participants completed an adapted version of the Domestic Conflict Inventory and a novel measure of COVID-specific stress. Results Analyses showed that greater COVID stress was consistently associated with greater psychological IPV perpetration and victimization, and bidirectional IPV was significantly associated with greater psychological and physical perpetration than perpetrator-only IPV. A significant interaction between COVID stress and bidirectional IPV revealed that greater COVID stress was associated with greater psychological perpetration during COVID, but only for participants reporting pre-COVID bidirectional, compared to perpetrator-only IPV. Lastly, exploratory analyses revealed specific COVID stressors, i.e., parenting, employment insecurity, and crowding, that related to different forms of IPV during COVID. Conclusion Pandemic-related stress and a history of IPV, particularly relationships in which partners are both victims and perpetrators, were significant risk factors for IPV during the pandemic. These findings suggest that individuals already at risk for IPV are at an increased risk for IPV during times of crisis.