Domestic violence is a real social phenomenon, often obscure because not all cases are reported. Unfortunately in the new age of coronation and quarantine there has been a significant increase in cases of domestic violence, with governments urging governments to take additional measures.
According to the British newspaper Guardian, allegations of domestic violence increased by 30% in the Chinese province of Hubei, where the pandemic began, by 30% in Italy and 20% in Spain in the first weeks of the restrictive measures. In France, Interior Minister Christoph Kastaner said allegations of domestic violence had risen more than 30% since the lockdown took place in the country on March 17. In Sicily, a young woman was murdered by her violent partner.
The data show that in quarantine conditions where uncertainty, anxiety and stress become even more intense, the likelihood of getting bigger increases. They also confirm fears that incarceration increases the risk of domestic violence, while trapping victims and making them more vulnerable. Domestic tensions appear to be escalating in times of tightening, especially in cases where incarceration coincides with alcohol or drug abuse. The vast majority of victims are women.
In Greece, there has been no official increase in allegations of domestic violence. "In our country, the number of complaints compared to the previous period does not show an increase," said Dimitra Evangelou, advisor to the Minister of Civil Protection on Social Policy. He added, however, that "in order to be able to draw safe conclusions, we must, on the one hand, wait and study the phenomenon and its correlations with the present circumstances."
Based on the negative international experience so far, the Secretary General of Family Policy and Equality has issued a directive inviting victims to call the SOS 15900 line for psychosocial support, legal advice or hospitality. It is recalled that domestic violence is a crime that is prosecuted ex officio and the police must intervene immediately from the moment it is informed.
Domestic violence and quarantine is a new field that the scientific community is looking for answers to, although it is too early to give. The additional problem with the ban on travel is not only the increase in cases but also the fact that the victim is trapped in the same house as the perpetrator and communication with the "outside world" is difficult. In France, complaints have been lodged with pharmacies that remain open.
Searching for the causes is also a difficult task. The Secretary General of Family Policy and Gender Equality, Maria Syregela, speaking to ethnos.gr, said that "the days we are going through are unprecedented and the accumulated tension due to stress is likely to provoke more intense reactions. This is not to say that restricting travel and prolonged stay at home is the only reason for the increase in violence.
A partner or spouse (ex or current) with a tendency to violence and abuse and a similar behavior in the partner or spouse, will manifest regardless of quarantine and home restraint. Specifically for children, he stated that "an abusive relationship, whether physical or verbal or psychological, has an impact on all members of the family or the relationship they receive from violence and its consequences."
By Dr Angel,
Angeliki Koskeridou
Holistic Doctor - Counseling Psychotherapist
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
MSc Health Psychology
www.AggelikiKoskeridou.com
insta: dr_aggelikikoskeridou_official
