Pless Jennie, Schroeder Elyssa, Blackburn Julianne, Choi Y Joon
School of Social Work, University of Georgia, 279 Williams Street, 30605 Athens, GA Greece.
J Fam Violence. 2023 Apr 12:1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10896-023-00545-3.
Domestic violence (DV) shelters are an essential service for survivors and their children. While research has demonstrated global increases in DV during COVID-19, little is known about the experiences of DV shelter staff. This study aimed to understand DV shelter staff's experiences and how they navigated the early stages of the pandemic.
Researchers disseminated a cross-sectional online survey, first to state DV coalitions and then directly to DV shelters. Univariate and bivariate analyses were used for multiple-choice items, and patterns were identified using thematic analysis for open-ended responses.
Survey participants included 368 DV staff (180 leadership, 167 direct services, and 21 other roles) from 48 states. They reported little change to their schedules and mixed feelings of shelter preparedness for the pandemic. Participants described shelter methods for preventing the spread of COVID-19, changes in shelter policies and satisfaction with such policies, and the impacts of the pandemic on themselves and survivors. Balancing survivor autonomy with the health and safety of staff and other residents proved to be one of the most consistently challenging tasks. Participants also described how programs adapted to changing regulations and continued to serve survivors throughout this challenging time.
Several innovative practices were implemented by staff throughout the pandemic, including expansions in technology use and non-residential services. Most reported feeling prepared for a similar crisis in the future. We offer five recommendations for DV shelters and their funders, including increased mental health support for staff and greater transparency in policies for both shelter residents and staff.
家庭暴力庇护所是为幸存者及其子女提供的一项重要服务。虽然研究表明，在新冠疫情期间全球家庭暴力事件有所增加，但对于家庭暴力庇护所工作人员的经历却知之甚少。本研究旨在了解家庭暴力庇护所工作人员的经历，以及他们在疫情初期是如何应对的。
研究人员首先向各州的家庭暴力联盟，然后直接向家庭暴力庇护所发放了一份横断面在线调查问卷。对多项选择题采用单变量和双变量分析，对开放式回答采用主题分析来识别模式。
调查参与者包括来自48个州的368名家庭暴力工作人员（180名领导层、167名直接服务人员和21名其他岗位人员）。他们表示工作时间表变化不大，对庇护所应对疫情的准备情况感受不一。参与者描述了庇护所预防新冠病毒传播的方法、庇护所政策的变化以及对这些政策的满意度，以及疫情对他们自己和幸存者的影响。事实证明，在保障幸存者自主权的同时兼顾工作人员和其他居民的健康与安全，是最具持续性挑战的任务之一。参与者还描述了各项目如何适应不断变化的规定，并在这一充满挑战的时期继续为幸存者提供服务。
在整个疫情期间，工作人员实施了多项创新举措，包括扩大技术使用和非住宿服务。大多数人表示为未来可能发生的类似危机做好了准备。我们为家庭暴力庇护所及其资助者提出了五项建议，包括增加对工作人员的心理健康支持，以及提高庇护所居民和工作人员政策的透明度。
