Exploring the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Domestic Violence Victim-Serving Agencies and Professionals

Abstract

This study explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the domestic violence victim-serving agencies and professionals through the interview responses of eight professionals working in domestic violence shelters in rural North Dakota. It develops from a gendered perspective, using the work of Connell and Messerschmidt, (2005), as well as the ways in which intersectionality can help frame the way shelters and other services impact women from differently based on issues of race, class, gender, and geographical location (Crenshaw 1991). The results indicate two sets of themes that reflect both the challenges providers faced prior to the pandemic, as well as the ways those challenges were exacerbated as a result of the pandemic. During the pandemic, the collective responsibility actions implemented through intentional communication strategies within and between agencies within rural North Dakota proved effective in addressing the challenges and keeping agencies’ daily operations running smoothly.