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Commentary

Health care practitioners’ responsibility to address intimate partner violence related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Nori L. Bradley, Ashley M. DiPasquale, Kaitlyn Dillabough and Prism S. Schneider
CMAJ June 01, 2020 192 (22) E609-E610; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.200634
Nori L. Bradley
Department of Surgery (Bradley, DiPasquale), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Bradley), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Surgery (Dillabough) and Departments of Surgery and Community Health Sciences (Schneider), University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alta.
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Ashley M. DiPasquale
Department of Surgery (Bradley, DiPasquale), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Bradley), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Surgery (Dillabough) and Departments of Surgery and Community Health Sciences (Schneider), University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alta.
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Kaitlyn Dillabough
Department of Surgery (Bradley, DiPasquale), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Bradley), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Surgery (Dillabough) and Departments of Surgery and Community Health Sciences (Schneider), University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alta.
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Prism S. Schneider
Department of Surgery (Bradley, DiPasquale), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; Department of Critical Care Medicine (Bradley), The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Surgery (Dillabough) and Departments of Surgery and Community Health Sciences (Schneider), University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alta.
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  • RE: Health care practitioners' responsibility to address intimate partner violence related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    Kristopher T Kang [MD] and Nita Jain [MD]
    Posted on: 14 May 2020
  • Posted on: (14 May 2020)
    RE: Health care practitioners' responsibility to address intimate partner violence related to the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Kristopher T Kang [MD], Pediatrician, Child Protection Service Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital
    • Other Contributors:
      • Nita Jain, Medical Director

    We wish to commend the authors (1) for their timely and insightful commentary on the critical issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and practical ways for health care providers to identify and support victims.

    In this discussion of IPV, it is imperative that we also consider the impact of the pandemic on violence against children in Canada and abroad. Child maltreatment, including abuse, neglect, and exposure to family violence, affects one-third of Canadian children under age 15 and is among the leading causes of child mortality in young children (2). IPV and child maltreatment often occur together and share many risk factors (3, 4). Similar to the drivers for increased rates of IPV, there is widespread concern that as a result of intensified family stress, financial insecurity, and lack of access to supports, children are now at higher risk of violence. At the same time, physical and social distancing have restricted the interface between children and the protective adults that most commonly identify and report cases of suspected child maltreatment. Together these factors have led to a deeply troubling dichotomy – reports of child abuse are down, severity of cases is up (5).

    Health care providers continue to see children and families despite the pandemic, and are uniquely situated to identify child maltreatment – in some cases, we may be the only contact a child has outside the home. We must make time to connect...

    Show More

    We wish to commend the authors (1) for their timely and insightful commentary on the critical issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and practical ways for health care providers to identify and support victims.

    In this discussion of IPV, it is imperative that we also consider the impact of the pandemic on violence against children in Canada and abroad. Child maltreatment, including abuse, neglect, and exposure to family violence, affects one-third of Canadian children under age 15 and is among the leading causes of child mortality in young children (2). IPV and child maltreatment often occur together and share many risk factors (3, 4). Similar to the drivers for increased rates of IPV, there is widespread concern that as a result of intensified family stress, financial insecurity, and lack of access to supports, children are now at higher risk of violence. At the same time, physical and social distancing have restricted the interface between children and the protective adults that most commonly identify and report cases of suspected child maltreatment. Together these factors have led to a deeply troubling dichotomy – reports of child abuse are down, severity of cases is up (5).

    Health care providers continue to see children and families despite the pandemic, and are uniquely situated to identify child maltreatment – in some cases, we may be the only contact a child has outside the home. We must make time to connect with and support families. Regardless of the specific area of medicine in which we practice, we must all be vigilant for the signs of abuse, and we all have a duty to report it when it is suspected. A child’s life could depend on it.

    Show Less
    Competing Interests: None declared.

    References

    • Bradley NL, DiPasquale AM, Dillabough K, et al. Health care practitioners’ responsibility to address intimate partner violence related to the COVID-19 pandemic. CMAJ. 2020;1–2.
    • Burczycka M, Conroy S. Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2015. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics; 2017.
    • Capaldi DM, Knoble NB, Shortt JW, et al. A Systematic Review of Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence. Partner Abuse. 2012;3(2):231–80.
    • Stith SM, Liu T, Davies LC, Boykin EL, et al. Risk Factors in Child Maltreatment: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Literature. Aggress Violent Behav. 2009;14(1):13–29.
    • Schmidt S, Natanson H. With kids stuck at home, ER doctors see more severe cases of child abuse. The Washington Post. 2020 Apr 30 [cited 2020 May 13]. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/04/30/child-abuse-reports-coronavirus/
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Canadian Medical Association Journal: 192 (22)
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Vol. 192, Issue 22
1 Jun 2020
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Health care practitioners’ responsibility to address intimate partner violence related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Nori L. Bradley, Ashley M. DiPasquale, Kaitlyn Dillabough, Prism S. Schneider
CMAJ Jun 2020, 192 (22) E609-E610; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.200634

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Health care practitioners’ responsibility to address intimate partner violence related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Nori L. Bradley, Ashley M. DiPasquale, Kaitlyn Dillabough, Prism S. Schneider
CMAJ Jun 2020, 192 (22) E609-E610; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.200634
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