Child-Focused and Economic Stability Service Requests and Barriers to Service Access Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors With and Without Children, 2017–2021

Purpose Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure in childhood is common, with impacts on lifespan well-being. However, there are knowledge gaps about needs and barriers to services for IPV survivors with children. Method We analyzed data from adults aged ≥ 19 years who resided in the U.S., were experiencing IPV, and who contacted the National Domestic Violence Hotline from 1/1/ 2017 – 12/31/2021 ( N = 599,207). Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% CIs were calculated to compare differences in IPV exposure, service requests, and service access barriers for IPV survivors with and without children at home, adjusting for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. We examined time trends (2017–2021), with comparisons before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Many adult IPV survivors (42.6%) reported having a child at home; survivors with children reported greater polyvictimization (mean IPV types: 2.27, SD : 1.03) than those without children ( M : 2.06, SD : 1.04). A small proportion of those with children requested support identifying child-focused services (4.1%); a greater proportion of those with children (30.8%) requested economic stability services compared to those without children (25.2%) (aPR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.15–1.17). Additionally, 33.1% of survivors with children at home reported having any service access barrier; this was 16% higher than adult IPV survivors without children (28.7%) (aPR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.15–1.17). There were changes over time, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions IPV survivors with children need additional supports; organizations serving IPV survivors with children may consider the unique needs and victimization profile of this population when designing interventions and services.