A coin is life with two sides. We look for both of these aspects ourselves in everything we experience. As now with his pandemic coronavirus. An unprecedented situation, a war with an invisible enemy, which dramatically changed our daily lives.
For the last month, mainly, we are living in situations that we had not imagined in our wildest dreams. Or rather in our worst nightmares. Our life looks like a sci-fi movie script, lately. But we said. In everything we look for the two sides of the coin. And in the case of covid - 19 one side is the positive side of this unusual situation we are experiencing.
For example, the quarantine at home and banning unnecessary traffic is a good opportunity to get close as a family. To make up for lost time, to introduce ourselves from the beginning. To do things we wanted to do but did not succeed before. Possibly reheat the relationship with our partner. To fill the gaps in the relationship with our children. This is one side.
Because there is the other. The dark side of confinement. Because unfortunately, in all the houses all over the world, the conditions are not ideal, they are not made like a milk advertisement. On this side of the coin is the domestic violence, which in the days of quarantine due to coronavirus has increased, with victims women and children. And the experts are ringing the alarm bells.
The incarceration, even when it happens so abruptly, as the days go by, is natural and next to bring nerves. To test characters, emotions, relationships. To even bring outbreaks.
What happens, however, in those cases where you are called to coexist locked in the four walls with a violent character. The truth is that in the early days most tried and stood on the ideal side of quarantine.
As the days go by, more and more people are starting to think about what is happening to families or couples who were experiencing cases of domestic violence before the coronavirus. More and more people are thinking about the victims who are locked in the house with the perpetrator.
The issue of domestic violence is now on the table. And rightly so. Because the numbers with the cases that have increased in the days of the coronavirus, are shocking.
"The restriction due Covid-19 creates fertile ground for the worsening of domestic violence ", it is the issue as SYRIZA highlights, when asked by 40 Members about the increase in domestic violence as a result of quarantine due to Covid 19.
SYRIZA MPs point out that "under quarantine conditions and under house arrest, such as the one we are going through, cases of domestic violence increase if women are confined to the home with the one who abuses them for a long time." While children "are also victims and are dangerously exposed to episodes of domestic violence, as long as they remain confined to the home with the abusive parent or partner of their mother."
Recently, the president of the Hellenic Forensic Medicine Society, Grigoris Leon speaking to APE-MPE He had revealed, among other things: "I have already been called these days to examine victims of domestic violence who have linked my incidents of violence to being locked up at home."
In fact, he had pointed out that many times the violence between a couple is transmitted to children, making them the same victims.
"If we add to this the fact that many people are already starting out and have an uncertainty in their work environment or are experiencing a reduction in their income, the stress and pressure become even more intense. "All of this results in a violent person being able to use violence more easily under these conditions," he said, among other things.
In our country, the social services of all municipalities have not stopped their operation at this time. So, in case a victim wants it, he can go there for further help and support.
According to the Association for the Prevention and Response of Domestic Violence (SPAVO), from the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Cyprus until today, calls for help due to domestic violence have increased by 30%, which now reach 750 within few days.
According to the Scientific Director of the Association Dr. Andri Andronikou, who spoke on the show "Alpha good morning", the home restriction is a "Tool in the hands of the perpetrators".
As he explained, due to the restriction, they expected an increasing trend towards the incidents of violence that they had to manage. "Through this restriction where women are at home for a long time, therefore they are even more isolated from their social life and workplaces, with the result that the control they have over women's lives becomes even greater, resulting in a worsening of violence." had stated, among others, Dr. Andronikou.
The coronavirus pandemic also has an impact on human relationships. And more in the family, since the members are now called to coexist all together for all hours of the day and night. It may sound nice, but in reality, it just is not ideal for all homes.
At China, where the virus started, in the days of quarantine the incidents of violence with victims mainly women, doubled. Wan Fei, a retired police officer who now runs a non-profit organization against domestic violence in Hubei Jingzhou, said the number had almost doubled since the quarantine began.
"The epidemic has had a huge impact on family relationships. According to our data, 90% of violent attacks within the family during this period are related to the epidemic Covid-19"He said.
As he states, the fear and anxiety about this unprecedented world situation, as well as the financial pressure exerted on many families, reinforce such behaviors. In fact, during the crisis in China, the #AntiDomesticViolenceDuringEpidemic was used thousands of times on social media, in an effort to raise awareness of the national and international community.
In China, for example, when quarantine measures started, upticks in domestic violence were reported, and the hashtag #AntiDomesticViolenceDuringEpidemic was trending. Similarly, in the US, @ndvh has started to report a growing number of calls since the COVID-19 emergency began.
- gabriela barzallo (@gabybarzallo) March 29, 2020
At America, cases of domestic violence have also increased. According to SafeNest, a shelter for women victims in Las Vegas, there is already an increase in phone calls, about 10%, compared to previous days.
Cases of domestic violence have also increased in Italy. And while calls for help have dwindled, so have the SMS and emails of women asking for help. And there is a logical explanation for this, since it is the only way to communicate, as they are now in the same place with the perpetrators all day, so the risk of hearing some of their phone conversation is great.
Something similar is happening in Spain. In particular, the local government of Catalonia reports that calls for help increased by 20% in the first days of quarantine.
Not everyone is safer at home — victims of domestic violence are in harm's way. Watch out for the signs in your building and neighborhood as we shelter from # COVID19. For resources, call @ndvh at 1-800-799-7233, or make a donation: https://t.co/bPJG1pTKgt #listeningfromhome pic.twitter.com/hryKudmjee
- NO MORE (@NOMOREorg) March 30, 2020
However, in Spain, where lockdown rules are extremely strict, the government has said that women who leave their homes to escape and report domestic violence are exempt from fines for traffic violations.
In Brazil, the same pattern. Judge Adriana Melo, who specializes in domestic violence cases, in Rio de Janeiro speaks of a 40% to 50% increase. And these numbers, as he explains, refer only to the cases when the women finally asked for help and the incidents were recorded.
Because, many victims are afraid to call, as if they are perceived by the perpetrators, there will be "consequences".