Intimate Partner Violence During National Emergencies

With the constant threat of domestic and international terrorism, national weather-related emergencies, and even global health pandemics, uncertainty about the stability of what holds our day-to-day lives together is a silent constant. The systems and infrastructures providing safety and support to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience greater strain during times of national or global emergency, such as during the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The likelihood of violence increases when families and partners are forced to shelter in place. Victims of IPV experience these traumatic events from a position of even greater vulnerability and fewer resources. This special issue of Violence and Gender seeks to explore the unique challenges, threats, and interventions related to victims of IPV who are forced to shelter in place with their abusers. The journal invites your submission on this timely and enduring topic.

All manuscripts should be submitted online using the manuscript submission portal by August 15, 2020. All submissions will be subject to a rigorous peer review.  We encourage submissions of original research articles, reviews, and perspectives.

Suggested topic areas include, among others:

• Factors of vulnerability and increased risk for victimhood and studies related to victimology
• Preparedness protocols for support systems, such as shelters, hospitals, first responders, and support networks
• Data related to homicide incidents during national and global emergencies
• Socioeconomic factors influencing victimology
• The role of firearms during times of extreme crisis
• Are female victims of IPV knowledgeable about self-protection?
• Safety concerns during extreme weather events (floods, blizzards, etc.)
• Studies exploring novel characteristics of abusive relationships or changes exhibited during times of widespread crisis
• Psychology of triggers for abusers during times of trauma and unrest
• Global correlation of divorce rate increase with the COVID-19 pandemic
• Review of increases in crime under shelter in place orders and ability of law enforcement to respond

Visit Violence and Gender to learn more, read past issues, and view author submission guidelines.

Queries to the editor to propose a topic prior to submission are encouraged. Please contact Managing Editor Karen Cloud-Hanson to initiate your query or for any further details.