COVID-19 and the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence among couples with disability in Kawempe division, Kampala district

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore COVID-19 and the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence among couples with disability in Kawempe division, Kampala District The study was guided by three objectives namely; to establish risk factors of intimate partner violence among couples with disability during COVID-19, to find out the common forms of intimate partner violence among couples with disability and to understand how couples with disability dealt with IPV during COVID-19. The study was purely qualitative in nature and employed a purposive sampling strategy to identify the respondents. The sample size of the study was relatively small with a total number of ten primary respondents and three key informants. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using thematic analysis method. The findings of the study were presented in narrative form so as to enhance quicker and better understanding of COVID-19 and the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence among couples with disability. The findings of the study revealed that there were numerous risk factors of intimate partner violence including alcoholism, low self-esteem, and poverty. Additionally, the study revealed physical violence inform of beating, sexual violence which includes rape as the different forms of intimate partner violence. These were thoroughly discussed by the researcher. The study concluded by highlighting the different of intimate partner violence including physical sexual, economic violence all of this can happen in intimate relationships and can have severe risk factor which can take the form of alcoholism, sexual abuse, low self-esteem, poverty and family disagreement which is common especially when victims tend to involved their relatives into the violence. Finally, the study recommends the need to put in place domestic violence shelters where the abused are provided with food, shelter, and child care for the case of victims who have children. There should be a community boost support network with technology that will automatically alert the support network if there are danger-related cases of domestic violence.