Keď sa stratégia násilia stane spoločenskou normou: vplyv sociálnej izolácie počas pandémie na partnerské násilie na ženách
When a Strategy of Violence Becomes a Social Norm: the Impact of Social Isolation on Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Summary/Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global rise of intimate partner violence against women as it combined multiple risk factors. Crisis situations and their potential economic impact cause psychological stress and increase negative coping strategies, which belong to the significant risk factors for intimate partner violence. In addition, restriction of social contacts and social isolation that constituted an important part of anti-pandemic responses are well documented strategies of batterers that use them as mechanisms of coercive control and to prevent help-seeking. Several studies of the impact of COVID-19 on intimate partner violence focused on its increase and the limited access to services during the pandemic. Less attention has been paid to social isolation as a legitimation of violent strategies and its impact on IPV survivors’ resilience. The present text addresses social isolation in this context. It derives from qualitative research on the impact of COVID-19 on IPV survivors carried out through interviews with 9 employees of specialised social services for women experiencing violence. As such, it reflects service providers’ experience and their expert evaluation. As expected, social isolation as a new social norm during the pandemic has increased this specific form of violence and led to a limited availability of help. However, it has also generated less predictable effects such as slowing down of the healing process and retraumatising of already compensated survivors, as well as challenging service providers as social isolation contradicts the philosophical principles of services for intimate partner violence survivors.

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