Characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence and Survivor’s Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights From Subreddits Related to Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collecting actionable IPV-related data from conventional sources (e.g., medical records) was challenging during the pandemic, generating a need to obtain relevant data from non-conventional sources, such as social media. Social media, like Reddit, is a preferred medium of communication for IPV survivors to share their experiences and seek support with protected anonymity. Nevertheless, the scope of available IPV-related data on social media is rarely documented. Thus, we examined the availability of IPV-related information on Reddit and the characteristics of the reported IPV during the pandemic. Using natural language processing, we collected publicly available Reddit data from four IPV-related subreddits between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Of 4,000 collected posts, we randomly sampled 300 posts for analysis. Three individuals on the research team independently coded the data and resolved the coding discrepancies through discussions. We adopted quantitative content analysis and calculated the frequency of the identified codes. 36% of the posts ( n = 108) constituted self-reported IPV by survivors, of which 40% regarded current/ongoing IPV, and 14% contained help-seeking messages. A majority of the survivors’ posts reflected psychological aggression, followed by physical violence. Notably, 61.4% of the psychological aggression involved expressive aggression, followed by gaslighting (54.3%) and coercive control (44.3%). Survivors’ top three needs during the pandemic were hearing similar experiences, legal advice, and validating their feelings/reactions/thoughts/actions. Albeit limited, data from bystanders (survivors’ friends, family, or neighbors) were also available. Rich data reflecting IPV survivors’ lived experiences were available on Reddit. Such information will be useful for IPV surveillance, prevention, and intervention.