Domestic violence is already one of the rarely discussed topics openly. Its
ugly side is coming out widely during this forced lockdown period to avoid the
spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), the people who have been
experiencing domestic violence have been stuck at home leaving no option for
them.
Domestic violence cases have risen since the lockdown began. The lockdown has
become a trap for women and children with abusers. With mobility restrictions,
victims are unable to find assistance in fleeing their abusers, who are now 24
hours a day in isolation with their abusers.
Domestic abuse is not just physical assault. It is an action that seeks to
obtain power and control over a parent, husband, girl/boy or intimate member
of the family. Abuse is experienced, not because of rage, mental illness,
narcotics, alcohol or other reason. All these are just excuses.
Anyone can be a victim of an individual who is a victim of violence,
regardless of their age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or religion.
Domestic violence also referred to as intimate partner violence, domestic
abuse or abuse of a relationship, can affect people of all socio-economic
backgrounds and levels of education. This occurs when a partner uses a
behaviour pattern to maintain a controlled relationship with another partner.
And while there are various signs of an individual being exploited, it is
crucial to decide whether the issue is part of a larger continuum of abuse.
Although domestic abuse can affect couples of all races, religions,
social-economic status and sexual orientations, risk factors for men or women
becoming victims or abusers mostly include poverty, lack of high school
education, witnessing family violence as a child, low self-esteem, and
attitudes of male domination and substance abuse, particularly alcohol abuse.
Forms of domestic violence
The following are forms of domestic violence:
- child abuse
- senior abuse
-
honour-based violence such as honour killings, female genital mutilation,
and forced marriage;
-
all forms of abuse by an intimate partner or former intimate partner,
including psychological abuse and stalking
Here are some warning signs of being in an abusive relationship to look out
for:
Emotional abuse
Your partner can cause you to hate, threaten or say you are useless or
incompetent. He/she may be offended.
Physical abuse
Your partner may hit you, threaten you, ill-treat you
Jealousy
They may want your phone, computer password, access to financial details, and
stop your friends and family from visiting you and watching what you are
wearing and doing.
Stalking
They might track your phone, follow your car, or when you don' want to show up
at work or home.
Financial control
Your partner can take your money, ask for control of your joint bank account,
or criticize your spending unreasonably.
Bullying
They can try to frighten you or look at you constantly in cold ways.
All the above-stated points are just a few signs majorly causing domestic
violence, don’t compulsorily define domestic abuse.
Also, it has been seen that people with domestic violence or harassment are
drastically more likely to have multiple disorders of mental well-being,
including post-traumatic stress disorder (
PTSD), depression, anxiety, misuse of drugs and suicide.
Even Persons dealing with mental illness may have undergone some form of
trauma (either during infancy or adulthood), such as physical or sexual
assault. Domestic abuse can hurt a survivor' physical and mental status.
Domestic violence and/or other severe types of abuse also leads to panic attack
,Post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse, depression, and anxiety.
Remember that it’s always important to talk anyone can never hurt you or
try to hurt you, it is never ok. The best thing you can do in this situation
is to get help with planning a path to security. You can take the help of
counsellors and other professionals in the field for better understanding and
cope up with all the issues.
It is disheartening that our society frequently neglects or ignores mental
health problems, and often pressures survivors from emotional and
psychological violence.