Peer-reviewed article
Exploring how mothers with a history of intimate partner violence experienced the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.
Jackson KT, Butler E, Mantler T ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explored how 12 mothers with histories of intimate partner violence in Ontario, Canada experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. The mothers faced structural challenges including financial instability, housing insecurity, and reduced access to legal and community supports during lockdowns. Many reported negative impacts on mental health and difficulty accessing counselling services, alongside increased work and caregiving demands. Despite these hardships, several mothers reported their relationships with their children became stronger during the pandemic.
Key points
- Approximately 44% of Canadian women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime
- Mothers with IPV histories faced structural violence during the pandemic, including financial instability and housing insecurity
- Access to mental health counselling services was difficult during the pandemic
- Mothers experienced increased workload and caregiving responsibilities
- Some mothers reported strengthened relationships with their children despite pandemic challenges
Limitations
This is a small qualitative study with 12 participants in Ontario, so findings cannot be generalised to all mothers with IPV histories or other regions. The study captures subjective experiences but cannot measure the scale or severity of impacts across larger populations.
Abstract
In Canada, approximately 44% of women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. Given that the majority of women who face IPV are within childbearing years, IPV often co-occurs with being a mother. While research exists on mothering and IPV, a gap in the literature exists with respect to how mothers with histories of IPV experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study addressed this gap using an interpretive description approach underpinned by intersectionality and informed by Ford-Gilboe's strengthening capacity to limit intrusion theory. Twelve, semi-structured virtual interviews were completed with mothers that had experienced IPV greater than 6 months prior to study enrollment. Mothers described experiencing structural violence during the pandemic, impacting their financial stability, access to affordable housing, and access to legal/community supports. Mothers also described the negative impact of the pandemic on their mental health, their difficulty accessing counselling services, and the challenges associated with managing an increased workload. Despite these experiences, many mothers described how their relationship with their child strengthened. Implications of this study include the need for policy changes to address the structural violence experienced by mothers with a history of IPV in the aftermath of the pandemic.