Do mandatory waiting periods for abortion increase intimate partner violence?

Abstract

Abortion restrictions affect access to reproductive health care. Research has demonstrated that abortion restrictions (policies that restrict access to abortion services or cause abortion clinics to close) result in reductions of and delays in abortions. We leverage two population-based datasets to investigate the effects of mandatory waiting periods (MWPs), a restrictive state abortion policy, on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV), one of the most common types of crime and a highly prevalent and costly public health problem, using data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System and Uniform Crime Report - Supplemental Homicide Reports. We hypothesize that MWPs increase the prevalence of IPV through changes in financial strains, negative health consequences, and intra-household power dynamics. Using difference-in-differences, event study, and methods accounting for staggered treatment timing, we find that MWPs are associated with increases in IPV. Our findings are valuable for policymakers in today's post-Dobbs environment.

Keywords: Abortion; Dobbs; Domestic violence; Intimate partner violence; Mandatory waiting period.