Violence in pandemic times: The dynamic relationship between COVID‐19 and intimate partner violence

Abstract

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) increased during the COVID‐19 lockdown, but few studies use national data and explore underlying mechanisms. To address this gap, we study the changes in IPV during the first ten months of the pandemic in Peru. We study the number of calls received by the national helpline for domestic violence victims, Línea 100, using an event study model. Results show that during lockdown, IPV calls experienced nonlinear variations. Calls for psychological violence showed the most significant variation, followed by those for physical violence, while no significant changes for sexual violence were identified. Prior history of violence and alcohol or drug consumption appears to be the most important underlying mechanisms. Results suggest that policy efforts during acute health and economic crises should aim at risk factors that typically predict violence and prioritize rapidly connecting survivors to quality services.