Study reveals differences in victims’ and perpetrators’ experiences of domestic abuse during COVID-19

5 August 2024

A new study by researchers at the University of Bristol has revealed differences in victims’ and perpetrators’ experiences of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded REPROVIDE trial, which is evaluating a group-based programme for domestic abuse perpetrators, the research involved interviews with male perpetrators and female survivors.

The REPROVIDE trial gave researchers unique access to couples (dyads) in current or previous relationships where there was intimate partner violence. The men participating in the trial were either attending a group intervention to help them change their behaviour or were part of a comparison group who did not take part in the group programme. Their partners or ex-partners were interviewed to investigate the effects of the trial from their perspective. As the trial was in progress during the pandemic period, the researchers took the opportunity to explore the impact of the pandemic on the couples taking part.

In total, 15 perpetrators and 18 victim/survivors, including eight dyads (couples/ex-couples) were interviewed between June 2020 and July 2021.

Key themes that emerged from the interviews were:

Victims' attempts to cope: Many survivors reported trying to manage intensified abuse by complying with their abusers. This compliance was a strategy to mitigate the increased violence during lockdown.
Perpetrators' masculine ‘front': Male perpetrators often maintained a façade of coping and autonomy, which masked the underlying abusive behaviours that were exacerbated by the pandemic.
Gendered domestic burden: The pandemic increased domestic responsibilities, disproportionately affecting women. This added pressure intensified the already existing abuse for many female survivors.
Importance of specialist support: Consistent support from skilled workers was crucial. Survivors and perpetrators both noted changes in service responses, emphasising the need for ongoing, specialist support to ensure safety and reduce risk.

The findings underscore the importance of addressing gender inequalities that underpin domestic abuse and ensuring continued support for those affected, particularly during crises like pandemics.

Dr Karen Morgan, Research Fellow at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, said: “Being able to interview both domestic abuse perpetrators and their victim/survivors is unusual. Our ability to do this and to directly compare experiences of domestic abuse perpetrators and their survivors during the COVID-19 lockdowns, has given a unique insight not only into the different ways of coping, but into how beneficial our participants found the specialist support they were receiving. Our findings highlight the importance of having robust support systems which can be adjusted to the demands of social crises, in order to minimise risk to survivors.”

Results of the full REPROVIDE trial will be published later this year.

Paper: A ‘forced holiday’ or ‘no escape route’? Contrasting experiences of survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse during COVID-19 by Rachael Bloomer et al. Published in Journal of Gender-based Violence. July 2024.

Help and support

National Domestic Violence Helpline – confidential helpline for people experiencing domestic violence and abuse, and their friends, family and work colleagues
Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (24 hours)
Webchat: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/Chat-to-us-online/(Mon-Fri, 3pm-10 pm)
British Sign Language interpreter service: nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/bsl

Galop – for LGBT+ people
Helpline: 0800 999 5428 (Mon–Thu, 10am-4.30pm, Fri, 10am-4pm)
Webchat: https://galop.org.uk/get-help/helplines/

Men’s Advice Line – for victim-survivors who are men
Helpline: 0808 8010327 (Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm)
Email support: info@mensadviceline.org.uk (Mon-Fri, 9am–5pm)

Respect – for concerns about your own or someone else’s behaviour
Helpline: 0808 802 4040 (Mon–Fri, 10am-5pm)
Email support: info@respectphoneline.org.uk (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
Webchat: https://respectphoneline.org.uk/ (Thurs, 2pm-4pm)

Further information

Centre for Academic Primary Care

The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol is a leading centre for primary care research in the UK, one of nine forming the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. It sits within Bristol Medical School, an internationally recognised centre of excellence for population health research and teaching. Follow on X: @capcbristol and LinkedIn

About the NIHR

The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:

Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.

NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.