The purpose of the literature review was to either confirm or refute the thesis statement. Various articles and statistics mentioned above prove that lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 have resulted in an increase in domestic conflicts and disagreements. People must stay at home in order to protect their lives by avoiding the virus, but some of them feel safer outside than when being with their partners, spouses, or family members.
This thought was confirmed in recent studies by Anurudran et al. (2020), Leslie and Wilson (2020), Kofman and Garfin (2020), Boserup et al. (2020), López-Calva (2020), and other researchers. Thus, even though the measures adopted by governments are aimed to stop the spread of the virus, they cause another equally serious problem, from which the population must also be protected.
Apart from making people keep social distance, the rapid spread of coronavirus across the world has forced governments to restrict their citizens from moving to some places. Reviewing and analyzing relevant sources allows understanding specific connections between these measures and people’s relationships. For example, these restrictions have resulted in many persons losing their jobs and income (Kofman & Garfin, 2020).
Research by Mazza et al. (2020) explores the link between these circumstances and domestic violence and suggests that low earnings can trigger the latter. Therefore, despite having a good life with no conflicts and arguments, financial struggles caused by the coronavirus can activate abuse because people become angry and emotionally distressed. Further, there is another factor explored by Kofman and Garfin (2020). The authors state that lockdowns have made couples spend much time together, which exposes their habits to their partners (Kofman & Garfin, 2020). Apparently, some of these habits can be negatively perceived by the partner, causing violence and fights. Additionally, Mazza et al. (2020) add to the topic by saying that being close to each other for extended periods increases the possibility of domestic violence occurring.
Excessive domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic period is witnessed at high rates, which results in severe effects on the victims. For instance, according to the research by Kofman and Garfin (2020), violence has highly contributed to emotional and psychological trauma that makes many vulnerable people feel unworthy and hopeless. Mazza et al. (2020) say that domestic violence may result in mental effects like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. Consequently, even after the end of the COVID-19 measures, many people will likely continue feeling unsafe, stressed, and exposed to abuse.
The victims’ relationships with their partners, friends, or parents are also altered by these effects, which can cause disagreements, misunderstandings, and even additional violence (Kofman & Garfin, 2020). Psychological challenges are fatal, and to avoid them, immediate concern is needed. Therefore, it is essential that governments pay attention not only to COVID-19 prevention but also to those issues caused by it.
In order to understand the full picture of what is happening because of the coronavirus, it is important to look at the situations in different countries. Research by several authors is rather helpful as it provides valuable and useful information. For example, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, there was also an increase in women’s calls for help after the beginning of lockdowns (World Health Organization, 2021).
Generally, females are the most vulnerable victims of violence, and they suffer even more during the pandemic. The same situation is in other countries, including Brazil, Cyprus, Spain, China, and the UK (Bradbury-Jones & Isham, 2020; Taub, 2020). Additionally, Leslie and Wilson (2020) explored the situation in the US and also discovered an increase in abuse and violence. This information and statistics are incredibly crucial for the discussed topic.
Finally, studying practical examples is as necessary as analyzing theoretical and statistical facts. According to Taub (2020), a Chinese woman named Lele “found herself entangled in more and more arguments with her husband” (para. 8). Even though they had disagreements and episodes of violence before the pandemic, “the Covid-19 outbreak made things far worse,” and her spouse beat her with a chair (Taub, 2020, para. 11). There are millions of such examples worldwide, and learning about them can lead governments to take measures that will stop the spread of the virus without putting many people at risk of domestic violence.
References
Anurudran, A., Yared, L., Comrie, C., Harrison, K., & Burke, T. (2020). Domestic violence amid COVID‐19. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 150(2), 255-256. Web.
Boserup, B., McKenney, M., & Elkbuli, A. (2020). Alarming trends in US domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 38(12), 2753-2755. Web.
Bradbury‐Jones, C., & Isham, L. (2020). The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID‐19 on domestic violence. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(13-14), 2047-2049. Web.
Kofman, Y. B., & Garfin, D. R. (2020). Home is not always a haven: The domestic violence crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(1), 199-201. Web.
Leslie, E., & Wilson, R. (2020). Sheltering in place and domestic violence: Evidence from calls for service during COVID-19. Journal of Public Economics, 189, 104241. Web.
López-Calva, L., F. (2020). No safer place than home? The increase in domestic and gender-based violence during COVID-19 lockdowns in LAC. United Nations Development Program. Web.
Mazza, M., Marano, G., Lai, C., Janiri, L., & Sani, G. (2020). Danger in danger: Interpersonal violence during COVID-19 quarantine. Psychiatry Research, 289, 113046. Web.
Taub, A. (2020). A new Covid-19 crisis: Domestic abuse rises worldwide. The New York Times. Web.
World Health Organization. (2021). Violence, injuries and disability. WHO EMRO. Web.