Intimate Partner Violence and COVID-19 in Rural, Remote, and Northern Canada: Relationship, Vulnerability and Risk

In RRN Canada, isolation is often experienced but now it is sanctioned by government to a greater extreme: the borders are closed with limited travel in or out by only essential services; travellers returning to their homes are mandated to self-isolate for fourteen days; gatherings are restricted to only immediate family within a household. Physical distancing disrupts relationships and displaces families from their frequent visits with brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc.; many items are restricted for purchase by families, such as, toilet paper, a valued commodity, as people fearfully prepare for the unknown; staples like yeast for making bread are in low supply; citizens are encouraged to stock their cupboards; the stress and fear of acquiring COVID-19 is leading to increased calls on the help-lines.

A variety of criteria have been used to define rural, remote and northern (RRN) regions when examining IPV in Canada. Sometimes a location may be used such as naming northern jurisdictions, like the Northwest Territories, or rural or remote regions of provinces (Moffitt et al. 2013; Wuerch et al. 2019). This paper is based on three distinctly different geographical contexts in Canada- rural, remote and northern (RRN). These areas share commonalities, particularly when describing vulnerabilities and risk, which we will highlight in the paper.

Please note we are concerned about the community response to IPV and fear that women are in most danger when they are unable to reach out to informal/formal supports. While anecdotal evidence suggests that cases are spiking due to coronavirus-related quarantines we are not able to comment on this without research that examines whether incidents are increasing. We recognize that this data might not be available until much later.

The relationship of the land to Indigenous people is unique. It is most often described as a way of life with cultural knowledge, celebration, community and rituals embedded in Indigenous cultures. This stems from a holistic perspective of the world and a relationship to all living beings that grow and live on the land.

Reserves for First Nations are found mostly in southern Canada. In the Canadian north, many Indigenous people do not live on reserves. The proportion of Indigenous people to other Canadians in the North is much higher and in both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the majority of the population are Indigenous/First Nations.

For more information on the shelters available in Canada and types of services offered see Aujla (2010).

The iCAN Plan 4 Safety app is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and can be accessed here: https://​icanplan4safety.​ca

For more information on the online app from the Canadian government visit: https://​ca.​thrive/​covid19app/​home