Domestic violence up 5% in Srinagar: Report

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Srinagar reported an increase of 5% in domestic violence.

This was found in a research study on Domestic violence during the first and second waves of Covid-19 done by the Department of Community Medicine Government Medical College Srinagar.

The study had a descriptive cross-sectional study design. The data was collected using an online questionnaire pretested in a pilot study on 20 women. The necessary changes in language, style, and response were done following the pre-test and then later through Google forms.

The study had a total of 92 participants. The sample size came out to be 73. Women who were married or living with partners for more than one year were part of the study.

A total of 92 women responded to the google forms. Approximately 63.1% of women belonged to the age group of over 30 years, 65.2% were postgraduates, 91.3% were housewives, and 54.3% were married.

Almost 17.4% of women reported having experienced domestic violence in any form from their intimate partner or family member, out of which 6.5% were those who had started experiencing it during Covid-19 times, the study reads.

All the women who had experienced violence have confided to their friends or any trustworthy person, out of which 6.5% of women have looked for any help to ease out this domestic violence. 17.4% who experienced violence were worried about their future.

Having children, societal pressure and no one to support their decision to divorce the person were the reasons cited for staying back with the perpetrator, the study further said.

The research concluded that based on a recent study on domestic violence showed an increase of 5% during the pandemic in Srinagar.
Further, the effects of preventing a COVID-19 health crisis have had unintended consequences on domestic abuse (DA) victimization. The effects of preventing a COVID-19 health crisis have had unintended consequences on domestic abuse victimization.

Social distancing measures inherently change micro-level human interactions, as they force people to spend more time at home. There is a need to implement strict laws and policies to counter this and help the victim rather than criminalize the victim.

To reduce the frequency of the issue, it is central to acknowledge the extent of gender-based violence, create awareness and upkeep networks to make it easier for the victims to access them, the study reads.