A Pandemic Within A Pandemic: This Is How COVID-19 Has Given Rise To Domestic Violence

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought along with it numerous unpleasant situations that none had bargained for. Reports regarding a surge in domestic violence and intimate partner violence have been pouring in from many countries, and if sources are to go by, it’s horrifying. Physical exploitation and domestic violence have already been declared an epidemic.

Numerous factors like health and financial worries, poor living conditions, and security fueling the sufferings. The numbers are rising, and there is no shade of doubt that it’s alarming. Even the injuries are more grave and beyond what you can think of. Below, there will be a detailed discussion on how the coronavirus pandemic has given rise to domestic violence.

Women Have Been The Prime Victims

Antonio Guterres, the chief of the United Nations, has been vocal about the stunning increase in domestic violence cases globally. Women and girls have been the prime victims. When According to a study from May 2020, the police in various countries are receiving innumerable calls regarding domestic abuse. Research evidence shows that the instances of physical abuse has reached a whole new level.

However, the number of victims coming out in the open has come down. Researchers have identified adults who have sought help for verbal, mental, and physical abuse by their partners from 11^th March to 3^rd May. This is comparatively much lesser than the number of cases in the past three years, i.e., 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Numbers Skyrocketed

However, the ratio of men and women who inflicted physical abuse was 80% higher in the year 2020. This is in comparison to the combined figure of the three previous years.

The stunning fact is, physical abuse has been more grave than the usual ones. The victims’ injuries have been put into three different categories by the researchers. There is a significant rise in not just the superficial injuries like black eyes and bruises, but also in severe ones like burns, knife cuts, strangulation, and gum shots. All these can damage the internal organs.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019, there have been quite a few deep injuries cases owing to intimate partner violence. However, since the pandemic breakout these cases have doubled in comparison to the cases from all the three years combined!

Victims Didn’t Speak Up In Many Cases

However, despite the increase in the violence victims are not seeking help. One reason for this is the fear of the pandemic spread, which is preventing victims from seeking help.Experts think that deep physical injuries and physical abuse have links to homicide.  While the physicians are battling with the burden of the pandemic, they also need to look for evidence of any domestic abuse among their patients.

The victims who have been gravely injured have either been kicked, injured, or hit in the abdomen, not once, but many times. Quite a few victims have accepted the fact that their partners have inflicted injuries on them. However, the damage has not been easily identifiable like bruises, broken facial bones, broken arms, broken wrists, or other signs of injuries related to domestic violence. Globally, the most number of COVID-19 cases were in April 2020.

April 2020 Was The Peak Time

The domestic violence cases started to peak during that period, in all probability. The traditional breakdown of domestic abuse victims was a bit unusual during the pandemic. This is in comparison to the cases from the last three years. Some experts have stated that intimate partner abuse during normal times has been undercounted.

During a pandemic, when abuse victims are trapped for a prolonged period with their abusers and don’t have access to social contacts, the number of sufferers is likely to be less pronounced. The figures coming out in recent times is just the tip of the iceberg. If sources are to go by, the undercount among kids can be more severe. The cases of child physical abuse are usually detected by teachers and administrates at school. After all, they have been interacting with the students for months. Therefore, abuse and injuries inflected by a caregiver on children are unlikely to go unnoticed.

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and their long-term effects are something we would fully realize in the days to come. However, it is high time that we build a society that is safe from any sorts of abuse!