“I don’t think people recognize and realize how much strength it takes to pull out oneself from a poisonous situation with someone whom you were attached the most and to the one you loved the most so deeply.”
Domestic Violence as the name suggests harming directly or indirectly someone in your inner
surroundings.surroundings. According to Domestic Violence Act,1998 it is clear that domestic violence is any form of abuse which includes: physical, mental, sexual, emotional, psychological, or emotional harassment and any other abusive or controlling behavior where such conduct causes harm or may cause harm to one’s health, safety or well-being.
Domestic Violence causes far more pain than visible marks or scars and burnt bruises. It is a devastating fact to be abused by someone that one is connected/attached with and you think that the person of your opposite gender is equally attached to you. Should We as INDIANS consider ourselves “Proud” enough to think that we are the second topmost country in the world to have the highest record of Domestic Violence cases? Being in such a democratic and independent free country as India we should know that India has an approximate rate of 70% when it comes to Physical Domestic Violence!! What we generally do in this situation?
Rather than acting upon it we just keep putting allegation on our legal system and government and other constituent bodies instead of looking around our inner being and realizing the fact that where we actually stand and what all we can do is the responsible citizens of the country.
After interning with NIF, I consider myself fortunate in order to know about the culture and the life of the survivors after the suffering they have undergone through and also got the opportunity to observe, analyze and have a face to face interaction with the Survivors of Domestic Violence. One thing I learned is that domestic violence is something which should be refused to inherit disinfection and learning new ways of living instead of repeating one’s
own past and it is a situation that needs a quick and random solution for any country to call itself free and democratic.
The lockdown applied to three main areas: physical movement out of the home, social distancing when outside the home, and restricted availability of most public services while sparing essential services. There was a sudden and drastic alteration in the daily routine, with many millions stranded in boarding houses and rental apartments, without work, and far from home. The reasons for domestic violence could be stress due to physical confinement, economic disruption, slowed down businesses, possible unemployment, scarcity of basic provisions, limited social support. Though precedent for the current situation (lockdown) is limited, studies of past disasters and its effects can put some light on factors behind the current trend of increase in domestic violence.
The rise in domestic violence could also be attributed to household work related to the disparity. India being a patriarchal society, domestic work is primarily considered a women's job. The absence of domestic help and people thrown into close quarters increases workload and cabin fever ensues, adding fuel to the ongoing friction between the couple and results in increased chances of domestic violence.
When it comes to know about how to deal with domestic violence and how to take
measures to end it, it is equally important to know about the facts and figures of different countries in order of the rate of occurrence of domestic violence. According to the National Surveys, the overall percentage of women physically assaulted by an intimate partner is as follows: Barbados:30%, Canada:29%, Egypt:34%, New Zealand:35%, Switzerland:21%, USA:33%, India:70% and South Africa:80%.
In India, according to the National Crime Report Bureau of India (NCRBI) has reported 22% physical domestic abuse; 17% sexual; 29% psychological, and 59.5% others. In addition to the above, among the families affected by substance use disorder, COVID 19 has worsened domestic violence. The stress of economic instability itself has resulted in increased consumption of alcohol, thereby increasing domestic violence independently.
Concluding in a monotonous tone that It Is NOT Okay; (a) To be humiliated in public; (b) For you to be forced to do something; (c) To be told that nobody will ever treat and love you the way your family and close ones does; (d) To be controlled; (e) To be made feel guilty in public or private or for someone else’s anger. It is their issue and
not your fault.
“Violence is never domestic. It roars wild where every day. She serves dinner to the carnivore in porcelain made of her broken bones.”
- Moraic Swain
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