Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Victim Service Provision: Challenges, Innovations, and Lessons Learned

• In Event: NIJ Day: Improving Services for Victims of Crime

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of COVID-19 on service provision for victims of gender-based violence in eight U.S. counties that vary in geography, urbanicity, and sociopolitical settings. This study includes a sample of eight county-level sites from four states, with one rural and one urban county from the western (Washington), southern (Texas), midwestern (Illinois), and northeastern (Massachusetts) regions of the United States. This study was guided by three main research questions: (1) How did local legal, policy, and cultural frameworks impact victim service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how can policymakers better support VSPs in future crises? (2) How did the COVID-19 pandemic change VSP service delivery models and practices, and to what extent have those changes been successful or sustained in the long term? And (3) Were there patterns in the ways that victim services were impacted by COVID-19 based on victim or service provider characteristics, such as type of victims served, region, or number of staff? Recommendations were developed to better support victim service provider agencies in times of future crises, so they are prepared and able to maintain service delivery through times of disruption.

Authors

• Hannah Feeney, RTI International

• Rebecca Pfeffer, RTI International