By Imesha Thushani
We are currently under a lockedown situation at home in order to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Which means, it is not possible to do our usual daily tasks. Life is monotonous. As a result of this instant change in the environment some people are in a state of psychological confusion. This results in conflict and it becomes a normalcy. But is striking to note there has been a considerable increase in the number of domestic violence cases reported during this quarantine period, which is abnormal.
Domestic violence can be physical or psychological. It can affect anyone of any gender or age. It may include behaviors meant to scare, physically harm, or control a partner. While every relationship is different, domestic violence typically involves an unequal power dynamic in which one partner tries to assert control over the other in a variety of ways.
Mainly the person with a weak personality is affected the most. Personality is a gradual development from birth. According to Raymond Cattell “Personality is the ability to give a person the opportunity to do something and predict the person according to how they do it’’. In this way, many psychologically accepted definitions have been used to describe personality. There are Over 50 definitions with theological, philosophical, legal, and sociological definitions which can be used to define personality.
Sigman Freud notes that certain experiences of childhood affect one’s behavior as they grow older. Accordingly, Freud divides child development into five stages. Oral Stage (To about 18 months from birth), Anal Stage (1 to 3 years), Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years), Latency Period (6 to 12 years) and Genital Stage (After 12 years). A person’s personality is built on how these 5 stages are passed.
Personality disorder is a direct cause of later sexual problems and domestic violence problems. It is through these periods that a person’s personality is formed. Conflicts in one of these stages can affect a person’s personality.
For about a month many countries across the world have been in lockdown. People have been ordered to stay home and practice social distancing by their governments in a bid to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). However, as the virus rapidly spreads across the world forcing people to stay home, a host of social issues have cropped up as a result. Among the many issues, activists over the world have pointed out the increase of domestic violence due to the lockdown resulting in victims having to live with their abusers round the clock. For governments fighting a tough battle to combat COVID-19, this was not an issue they had anticipated.
The Chief Nurse of the National Hospital Pushpa Ramyani de Zoysa has noted that, of the patients who have been admitted to the accident ward during the curfew, a considerable number have been admitted due to domestic violence.
She had also noted, “It is unfortunate that these families cannot use this valuable free time to stay happy with their loved ones. It would be a relief to us as well, in a trying time like this.”
- As a result of the increase in domestic violence, a telephone number has been introduced. Now the victims or witnesses can call on 0112 444 444 or 119 to report a crime.
Dissociation is a common feature of marital life. They should be resolved properly. Managing or exacerbating the problem depends on your mood and personality. These conflicts can be primarily identified as sexual dysfunction, nonsensical sexual behavior, inability to listen, guilt, disagreement and illicit affairs. Also, the psychological effects of poverty have a greater impact on domestic violence. Domestic violence escalates into attacks, homicides, and even suicide.
It is the children of such families who are severely unfairly treated for these reasons. Each of these phases can have a lifetime impact on personalities and behaviors of children.
- Counseling is most important in the face of these violent acts.
Marriage counseling, Sexual counseling, Family counseling are most important for home violence and sexuality based violence in this critical situation. The counselor helps to improve communication skills and to reduce frequent conflicts between married couples. Especially in sexual life and family planning system. It will also help to reduce family problems. This can be achieved by identifying the mental disorders of individuals and providing necessary counseling.
