Temperature and intimate partner violence

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between temperature and intimate partner violence against women in 34 developing countries. Exploiting the variation in average temperatures across women's residential locations within the 12 months prior to the survey date, we detect the positive association between temperature and women's exposure to intimate partner violence. Specifically, a one standard deviation increase in temperature (equivalent to an increase of 5.94°C) raises the risks of intimate partner violence (physical, emotional, and sexual violence) at both the extensive and intensive margins. These impacts could be attributable to the loss of control (proxied by alcohol use) and worse labor market outcomes. Our heterogeneity analyses further show that women from rural areas, those from poor households, those having low education, and those living with low‐educated partners are particularly vulnerable to the damaging consequences of temperature hikes.