Examining the impact of lockdown (due to COVID-19) on Domestic Violence (DV): An evidences from India

Respected Editor,

Recently the outbreak of COVID-19 has been emerged as a global public health crisis and as well as public health threats (Das et al., 2020). Originating from Wuhan in China, very rapidly it spreads all over the world (Campbell, 2020). The severely affected countries have adopted a number of preventive measures to combat with this global public health threats such as lockdown, travel restriction, wearing mask, social distancing, close all public places respectively. Many countries of the world imposed lockdown to fight with deadly COVID-19 such as USA, Italy, Spain, France as well as India (Nigam, 2020). Thus the implementation lockdown due to outback of COVID-19 not only restricted the spreading of infection but also a new public health crisis has appeared as a negative consequences of lockdown i.e. Domestic Violence (DV) (Bradbury‐Jones and Isham, 2020). It was well documented that domestic violence (DV) have increased in many COVID-19 affected countries such as Germany, Italy, Brazil, China, USA, UK respectively (Graham-Harrison et al., 2020). In India also, a number of domestic violence (DV) cases have been reported during the lockdown period. As per as report published by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2013, about 35 % women of the world are subjected to violence by their life partners or husbands (García-Moreno et al., 2013). More than 80,000 women killed in 2017 and most of them were violated by intimate or family members (Wenham et al., 2020). But after the implementation of lockdown, the domestic violence (DV) increased extensively across the world. But still now very few studies have been performed to assess the impact of lockdown on domestic violence (DV). Even in India, this aspect of pandemic has remained unexplored. Considering this gap, in this letter we made an attempt to examine the impact of lockdown on the domestic violence (DVs) due to lockdown.

As per as report published by National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4) in, 2015-, 2016, one in every three women were subjected to violence during non pandemic periods (Golder, 2016). But in many reports, news papers, organizations, it was well demarcated that the rates of domestic violence (DV) have increased after lockdown in India. According to recent data of National Legal Service Authority (NLSA), the rates of domestic violence (DV) have increased all over the nation after lockdown (Times of India, 2020)· At the beginning of lockdown, 257 reports of different offence against women have been received by National Commission for Women (NCW) out of which 69 cases have been reported as domestic violence (DV) (The Print, 2020). According to the chairperson of NCW, highest numbers of domestic violence (DV) cases have been reported from Punjab during lockdown and all the cases have been complained on email. The number of cases may be more as all have no accessibility due to lockdown. In the capital city of India, Delhi, it has been reported that about 2500 women calls have been received from emergency help line number out of which 600 calls have been classified as women’s abuse, 23 calls have been recorded as rapes and most of the calls 1612 have been accounted as domestic violence (DV) (Hindustan Times, 2020). As per as NALSA’s report, maximum number of domestic violence (DV) cases have been received from Uttarakhand (144) followed by Haryana (79), Delhi (63) respectively (Swarajya, 2020). The crimes against women have increased by 21 % and out of these 700 cases have been reported as domestic violence (DV). The crimes against women have increased from 4,709 to 5,695 since the March and the domestic violence (DV) cases have increased from 3,287 to 3,993 during lockdown (The Tribune, 2020) (Fig. 1 ).

Fig. 1.

Scenario of domestic violence (DV) in India.

Adopted from DH Deccan Herald (2020).

As per as special women help desk since 24 March 2020, more than 600 cases of mental and physical tortures have been recorded against husbands (due to taking drug and consumption of alcohol) and family members (The Tribune, 2020)· A current example can be drawn from West Bengal, Eastern India. A woman has been killed in Malda district of West Bengal to protest against affairs with her husband (Hindustan Times, 2020)· This is one example from the eastern India- a number of inhumane cases have been reported from different parts of the country due to domestic violence (DV).

The outback COVID-19 pandemic has already shown destructive footprints over the entire world. As of date 3rd July 2020, more than 10 million confirm COVID-19 cases have been reported with more than 0.5 million death across the world (World Health Organization, 2020)· In India also, the number of total COVID-19 cases have crossed 0.6 million with more than 18,000 deaths as of date 2^nd July, 2020 (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2020). The implementation of lockdown to combat with this pandemic has documented profound impact on the entire human environment. Domestic violence (DV) due to lockdown in India as well as all over the world has emerged as a big public health threats. In one hand, the entire world is concerned with COVID-19 pandemic and struggling with COVID-19 for the victory of the human society. On the other, a group of inhumane people are destroying the physical as well as mental health of intimates. Thus both COVID-19 and domestic violence (DV) have appeared as “twin public health emergencies”. In addition to this, it has brought immense impact on mental health also. The effect of domestic violence on psychological health is more dangerous than physical health effect. It brings tremendous depressions, nightmares, eating problems as well as other social dysfunctions. Even in many times, battered women experiences suicidal thoughts due to domestic violence (Kumar, 2012). Therefore, urgent actions are required to overcome these long lasting social problems.

Funding

None.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.