Understanding Risk and Protective Factors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Public Health and Social Advocacy Approach

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a recurring social problem that has individual, interpersonal, community, and societal level consequences necessitating interdisciplinary knowledge and a holistic, systemic approach for prevention. Recent research on IPV indicates the need to identify the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for IPV risk and subsequent consequences to inform mitigation solutions. Using a mixed-methods design, this rapid assessment research aims to address an existing gap by gathering primary data on the perceived risk and protective factors in addressing IPV through interviews, focus group discussions (n = 102), and surveys (n = 324) from a purposive sample of victim service providers (VSPs) in all US states, Washington, D.C., and five major inhabited territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands). The study findings indicate that existing risk factors have increased, alongside the emergence of new ones at the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. We also identified 35 proactive protection measures that VSPs concocted during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate IPV in their communities. Integrating insights from public health and social advocacy theoretical models, this study provides survivor-centered, community-level solutions to prevent IPV in both public emergencies and non-emergency situations. This research highlights the importance of recognizing the convergence of IPV risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic, as factors such as the political climate, natural disasters, and health crises—including pandemics—can exacerbate existing risk factors, thereby underscoring the need for prevention efforts more than ever.