Why is this study being done?
As Covid19 surged in the US, we have been confined in our homes, and experts expressed their concern about a potential increase in intimate partner violence. This study aims to get an accurate estimate of Louisiana’s intimate partner violence rate since the stay-at-home order was issued in March 2020. For that purpose, we are using indirect questioning techniques to provide you with privacy and confidentiality. We will compare intimate partner violence rates from four different indirect questioning techniques and determine the best one. The survey should take most people around 15 minutes to complete.
About Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
(IPV) is an ongoing global issue. About 1 in 5 women and 1 in 4 men in the US have experienced some form of contact sexual violence during their lifetime. About half (51.1%) of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance. Over half (52.4%) of male victims reported being raped by an acquaintance and 15.1% by a stranger. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, there has been an increase in unemployment, putting families under emotional and financial strain. In addition, there has been an increase in the number and intensity of domestic conflicts since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, during the stay-at-home orders, there has been an increase in the number of calls to emergency hotline services, and experts have expressed their concerns about a potential rise in IPV. However, IPV is considered a sensitive topic by many, thus most cases tend to go unreported.
About indirect questioning techniques
When sensitive questions are asked directly, respondents tend to answer them in a socially acceptable fashion rather than answer truthfully. To prevent untruthful responses in surveys, many different indirect questioning techniques have been proposed. In this study, we will utilize four different types of indirect questioning techniques in which you will be randomly assigned if you decide to participate in our study, and you are eligible.
Two techniques use a spinner in which you will spin a wheel and see a question randomly. The two other techniques use a table in which you see two questions simultaneously. All these techniques are provided to give you privacy in answering IPV related questions. There is no way for us to know which question the spinner lands on, or which category you belong to if you get a table. So, please answer the questions truthfully and enjoy the survey!
If you need assistance on domestic violence, please reach out to one of these resources:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline:
Visit: http://thehotline.org
Text: LOVEIS to 22522
Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Crisis Text Line:
Text: HOME to 741741
- Futures Without Violence:
Visit: https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/resources-events/get-help/
- National Sexual Assault Hotline:
Visit: https://www.rainn.org
Call: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)