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. 2022 Jul 11;23(4):589-596.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2022.4.55582.

Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Resource Utilization During COVID-19

Jennifer Pallansch  1 , Claire Milam  2 , Kendra Ham  3 , Patricia Morgan  3 , John Manning  3 , Jessica Salzman  3 , Kathryn Kopec  3 , Margaret Lewis  3
Affiliations

Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Resource Utilization During COVID-19

Jennifer Pallansch et al. West J Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: Key measures in preventing spread of the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are social distancing and stay-at-home mandates. These measures along with other stressors have the potential to increase incidences of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual assault, and child maltreatment.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of county police dispatches, emergency department (ED) visits, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) consults, Domestic Violence Healthcare Project (DVHP) team consults, and Child Protection Team consults at a large, tertiary, Level I trauma center. We queried International Classification of Diseases Revision 10 codes most specific to IPV, sexual assault, and child maltreatment from March-October 2020 compared to 2019. Similarly, the number of consults performed by SANE, DVHP, and our Child Protection Team were collected. We compared all ED visits and consultations to total ED visits for the reviewed time period. Finally, the total number of calls and referrals to a child advocacy center and resource call line for victims were recorded during this timeframe.

Results: Police dispatches for IPV-related assaults increased by 266 reports from 2019 to 2020 (P = 0.015). Emergency department visits related to IPV increased from 0.11% of visits in 2019 to 0.15% in 2020 (P = 0.032), and DVHP consults increased from 0.31% in 2019 to 0.48% in 2020 of ED visits in the first three months (P < 0.001). Child maltreatment visits increased from 0.47% of visits in 2019 to 0.81% of visits in 2020 (P = 0.028), and a higher percentage of patients required Child Protection team consults from 1% in 2019 to 1.6% in 2020 (P = 0.004). Sexual assault-related visits and SANE consults both showed a small increase that was not statistically significant. Fewer calls and referrals were made to our child advocacy center and resource call line, decreasing by 99 referrals and 252 calls, respectively.

Conclusion: Despite decreased ED volumes throughout the pandemic, we observed an increase in police dispatches, ED visits, and utilization of hospital consult services related to IPV and child maltreatment following the initiation of stay-at-home orders. However, use of community resources, such as the local child advocacy center, declined.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the WestJEM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. No author has professional or financial relationships with any companies that are relevant to this study. There are no conflicts of interest or sources of funding to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department encounters for intimate partner violence-related assaults from 2019–2020.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of emergency department visits with Child Protection Team consults from 2019–2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage of emergency department visits with Domestic Violence Healthcare Project team consults from 2019–2020.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage of emergency department visits with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner consults from 2019–2020.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Percentage of emergency department visits with ICD-10* codes related to child maltreatment, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. *ICD-10, International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision.
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