The Use of Social Media to Prevent and Reduce Intimate Partner Violence During COVID-19 and Beyond

Intimate partner violence (IPV) inflicts survivors physically and mentally, their families, and society. The IPV risk has been increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic created a unique context exacerbating survivors' vulnerability to violence, including stay-at-home order, spending more time with their perpetrators at home, and strained support systems. The current circumstances called for interventions to prevent IPV and support survivors without in-person interactions. We suggest social media (SM) as an innovative solution to help address the IPV crisis amid the pandemic as it collects live streaming data accurately, unobtrusively, anonymously, and at scale and low cost. SM data could be harnessed to develop noncontact and automated interventions (e.g., chatbot) to proactively reach out to and aid IPV survivors for personalized safety planning, education, and support during the pandemic and beyond. SM-based interventions should address ethical concerns and work with all stakeholders from the design stage for high acceptability.