Gender-based violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations for future.

BACKGROUND: Gender-based violence (GBV) includes any physical, sexual, psychological, economic harms, and any suffering of women in the form of limiting their freedom in personal or social life. As a global crisis, COVID-19 has exposed women to more violence, which requires serious actions. This work aims to review the most critical dimensions of the GBV against women, effective factors on it, and strategies for combating it during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to provide recommendations for future pandemics. METHODS: This study was conducted based on PRISMA-ScR. First, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were searched in April 2021 with no time limitation and location using the related keywords to COVID-19 and GBV. The searched keywords were COVID-19, gender-based violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, women, violence, abuse, and their synonyms in MESH and EMTREE. Duplicates were removed, titles and abstracts were screened, and then the characteristics and main results of included studies were recorded in the data collection form in terms of thematic content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 6255 records were identified, of which 3433 were duplicates. Based on inclusion criteria 2822 titles and abstracts were screened. Finally, 14 studies were eligible for inclusion in this study. Most of these studies were conducted in the United States, the Netherlands, and Iran, mostly with interventional and qualitative methods. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening ICT infrastructure, providing comprehensive government policies and planning, government economic support, social support by national and international organizations should be considered by countries worldwide. It is suggested that countries provide sufficient ICT infrastructure, comprehensive policies and planning, economic support, social support by collaboration between national and international organizations, and healthcare supporting to manage incidence of GBV against women in future pandemics.

The Association between Physical and Psychological Domestic Violence Experienced during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Symptoms.

Research has shown that rates of domestic violence generally increased during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, likely related to mitigation efforts that promoted staying at home and lockdown protocols. However, the link between pandemic-related domestic violence victimization and mental health outcomes has been less explored. The present study examined the possible association between exposure to domestic physical and psychological violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in an online sample of American adults recruited in December 2021. Data from 604 participants were analyzed. Forty-four percent of participants (n = 266) reported experiencing physical domestic violence, psychological domestic violence, or both during the pandemic, with psychological violence more commonly reported than physical violence. Exposure to both forms of violence was associated with higher rates of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Given the high rates and negative associations between psychological domestic violence and mental health symptoms in this sample, healthcare providers should assess for domestic violence exposure even if no indications of physical abuse are present or if there were not concerns about domestic violence exposure prior to the pandemic. Potential psychological sequalae should also be assessed if a patient has a positive history of domestic violence victimization.

The prevalence of violence and its association with mental health among the Iranian population in one year after the outbreak of COVID-19 disease.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 spread between and across nearly every country, with considerable negative health consequences. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of violence and its association with mental health among Iranians older than 15 years in 2020. METHODS: Data was collected through National Mental Health Survey on 24,584 Iranians older than 15 years in 2020. were analyzed to determine the prevalence of violence and its association with mental health. Multi-stage sampling method was used, and data on demographic characteristics and domestic-social violence and mental health (GHQ-28) were collected. Data analysis was administered using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test at a 95% level. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 44.18 ± 16.4 years. The overall prevalence of domestic and social violence was 11.4% and 5.5%, respectively. Verbal violence was the most common type; with 61.8% and 66.8% for domestic and social violence, respectively. A suspected case of mental disorder, female gender, being younger than 25 years, living apart together, unemployment, low education, and history of COVID-19 infection presented a significant association with domestic and social violence (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In comparison to the previous study in 2015, the prevalence of violence has increased. Therefore, domestic and social violence are the social concerns of Iranian society, indicating the necessity of appropriate interventions, particularly for those suspected of mental disorders and young women with low education levels.

Once upon a Pandemic: 'Online' Therapeutic Groupwork for Infants and Mothers Impacted by Family Violence.

This case study describes the transition to an 'online' delivery of an evaluated infant mental health group work intervention for infants/mothers impacted by family violence during the COVID 19 pandemic. The imperative to provide early intervention to infants and their mother is outlined. The model and practice principles integral to this intervention are provided and described are four separate groups run online within two different Australian cities. Facilitators of the groups found that they were able to hold the infants and mothers safely in the online space despite the unexpected presence of others in the families' homes. The home-based nature of the work caused by lockdown restrictions revealed a transparency not found in office-based work, whilst simultaneously, evoking some discomfort. The ease with which infants and young children embraced technology worked in favor of using the online space. Playful, restorative, and creative ways of engaging with a highly vulnerable cohort of families were achieved; enhancing relational repair following both family violence and the isolation created by restrictions imposed by lockdowns. Despite an initial hesitancy to move online, the authors discovered meaningful ways through which to engage, treat and provide safe relational repair work with infants and their mothers impacted by family violence.

Are Children Harmed by Being Locked up at Home? The Impact of Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Phenomenon of Domestic Violence.

The phenomenon of violence against children is a very complex one. There are many types of child abuse, and they are culturally dependent to a significant degree. Although studies show that children generally only suffer from mild COVID-19 infection, some social restrictions introduced during the pandemic, such as home isolation, may have many severe consequences on the population's mental health. Studies on this topic suggest that violence against children increased during lockdown due to the COVID-10 pandemic. This narrative review summarizes this available literature on the subject and discusses the different forms of violence against children, their cultural aspects, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the phenomenon of violence, the long-term consequences of the above, and forms of assistance for abused minors.

Locked up at home: a cross-sectional study into the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on domestic violence in households with children in Belgium.

BACKGROUND: Policymakers worldwide took measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19-virus. While these sanitary measures were necessary to fight the spread of the virus, several experts warned for a significant impact on mental health and a potential increase in domestic violence. To study the impact of the COVID-19 measures in Belgium, and the factors influencing the occurrence of domestic violence, we set up the study on relationships, stress, and aggression. In this study, we evaluate the prevalence of domestic violence victimization during the COVID-19 lockdown in Belgian children aged zero to seventeen years and the associations of the parents' financial status, relationships, mental health, and previous victimization to the child's victimization. METHODS: A stepwise forward binary logistic regression was used to analyse the association between multiple risk factors of domestic violence and victimization of the respondent's child. The respondent being an assailant, the respondent's age, and the age of the children in the household were added as moderators. RESULTS: In this model an association with domestic child abuse was found for the age of the respondent, the household's size, the presence of children between zero and five years in the household, the perceived stress level of the respondent, and victimization of the respondent during the first wave of the sanitary measures, as well as victimization before the COVID-19 pandemic. None of the interacting effects were found to be significant. CONCLUSION: It is advisable to make extra efforts to improve well-being when maintaining sanitary measures by providing appropriate assistance and helping households struggling with increased or acute stress to install positive coping strategies - especially in larger households with children between six and 17 years. Besides, our findings draw attention to the clustering of risk of child and adult violence exposure in lockdown situations as well as to the potential cumulative impact of exposure to violence across the lifespan and across generations. It is key to invest in training healthcare workers and staff at schools to screen for and assess risks of domestic violence development and ongoing or past occurrence in order to detect, refer and follow-up on families at risk.

A survey of coping strategies and resilience in women victims of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran, 2020.

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence against women is a hidden and global epidemic that has many negative effects. The COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine, and staying at home can lead to violent and domestic violence against women. Due to the importance of the subject, the present study was conducted to investigate the coping strategies and resilience of women victims of domestic violence in the COVID-19 epidemic in Tehran, 2020. METHODS: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study on 420 women who suffered domestic violence in Tehran, 2020. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, socioeconomic status questionnaire, WHO standardized domestic violence questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Endler and Parker's coping strategies questionnaire. This study was based on the Internet and online. The research poster, the characteristics of the participants, the voluntary participation in the study, the confidentiality of the information, and the link to the online questionnaire were made public through Internet networks. RESULTS: There was no correlation between resilience with general violence (p =.221), types of physical violence (p =.502), psychological violence (p =.178), and sexual violence (p =.386). The results also showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the women who were using or not using a problem-oriented style with physical violence, using or not using an emotion-oriented style with physical, psychological, sexual violence, and using or not using an avoidance style with physical violence among the samples (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The use of coping strategies leads to a reduction in domestic violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, designing and implementing training programs to improve coping styles in women can be effective in dealing with such stressful situations and help prevent injuries caused by violence.

Co-occurrence of adult abuse and child abuse: analysis of the phenomenon.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze the co-occurrence of adult and child abuse based on the reports collected from the Polish police and social welfare institutions. METHODS: The study involved data concerning 468 households in Szczecin (Poland) inhabited by children where acts of violence between adults took place. The presented data refer to the years 2012-2103. The data came from so called Blue Card files, i.e. documents issued by the police and social workers in cases of domestic abuse, providing information about its forms, perpetrators, and victims. RESULTS: Domestic violence usually occurs between spouses and cohabitees (78%). The perpetrator was usually a man (88%). Violence usually lasted from 1 up to 3 years (30.0%). The most common forms of physical abuse against adults and children included pushing (79.5% of adults, 22.4% of children) and hitting (64.7% of adults, 16.6% of children), and psychologically abusive behaviors were mostly insults (91.9% of adults, 27.5% of children) and criticism (79.1% of adults, 21.5% of children). This work has shown that the longer the psychological abuse between adults lasts, the greater probability is that it will also be used against children. Child abuse is also associated with putting up resistance to the police by perpetrators. CONCLUSIONS: Summing up, in households where violence between adults is observed, actions should be taken to prevent violence against children.

Domestic violence and associated factors during COVID-19 epidemic: an online population-based study in Iran.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 has severely affected communities around the world. Fear and stress of being infected, along with pressure caused by lockdown, prevention protocols, and the economic downturn, increased tension among people, which consequently led to the rise of domestic violence (DV). Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the rate of change in DV and its associated factors during the COVID-19 epidemic in Shiraz, Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 653 individuals with the age of over 15 years from Shiraz were participated through snowball sampling and filled out an online questionnaire through the WhatsApp platform. A 51-item, self-administered and multidimensional (knowledge, attitude, and practice) questionnaire was designed and assessed 653 participants. The gathered data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 25), and variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In this study, 64.2% of the respondents were within the age range of 31-50 years, and 72.6% of the subjects were female. Furthermore, 73.8 and 73.0% of the individuals were married and educated for over 12 years, respectively. The DV increased by 37.5% during the quarantine period, compared to before the pandemic. The emotional type was the most common type of violence; the sexual type was the least frequent. Multivariate analysis indicated that infection with COVID-19, drug use, high level of co-living observation of anti-COVID prevention protocols, and lower level of physical activity during the quarantine period had a positive and significant association with the occurrence of DV. CONCLUSION: Based on the obtained results, it is required to implement effective harm-reduction policies and measures in the community due to the increasing rate of DV during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Mental health solutions for domestic violence victims amid COVID-19: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Due to COVID-19, domestic violence victims face a range of mental health challenges, possibly resulting in substantial human and economic consequences. However, there is a lack of mental health interventions tailored to domestic violence victims and in the context of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to identify interventions that can improve domestic violence victims' mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic to address the research gap. MAIN TEXT: Drawing insights from established COVID-19 review frameworks and a comprehensive review of PubMed literature, we obtained information on interventions that can address domestic violence victims' mental health challenges amid COVID-19. We identified practical and timely solutions that can be utilized to address mental health challenges domestic violence victims face amid COVID-19, mainly focusing on (1) decreasing victims' exposure to the abuser and (2) increasing victims' access to mental health services. CONCLUSION: Domestic violence is a public health crisis that affects all demographics and could result in significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to emphasizing mental health challenges faced by domestic violence victims, multidisciplinary interventions are identified that could provide timely and practical solutions to domestic violence victims amid the pandemic, which range from tailored shelter home strategies, education programs, escape plans, laws and regulations, as well as more technology-based mental health solutions. There is a significant need for more multipronged and multidisciplinary strategies to address domestic violence amid and beyond the pandemic, particularly interventions that could capitalize on the ubiquity and cost-effectiveness of technology-based solutions.

COVID-19 pandemic: A review of the global lockdown and its far-reaching effects.

COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 11th of March 2020, leading to some form of lockdown across almost all countries of the world. The extent of the global pandemic due to COVID-19 has a significant impact on our lives that must be studied carefully to combat it. This study highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on crucial aspects of daily life globally, including; Food security, Global economy, Education, Tourism, hospitality, sports and leisure, Gender Relation, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Mental Health and Environmental air pollution through a systematic search of the literature. The COVID-19 global lockdown was initiated to stem the spread of the virus and 'flatten the curve' of the pandemic. However, the impact of the lockdown has had far-reaching effects in different strata of life, including; changes in the accessibility and structure of education delivery to students, food insecurity as a result of unavailability and fluctuation in prices, the depression of the global economy, increase in mental health challenges, wellbeing and quality of life amongst others. This review article highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown across the globe. As the global lockdown is being lifted in a phased manner in various countries of the world, it is necessary to explore its impacts to understand its consequences comprehensively. This will guide future decisions that will be made in a possible future wave of the COVID-19 pandemic or other global disease outbreak.

The Endemic Amid the Pandemic: Seeking Help for Violence Against Women in the Initial Phases of COVID-19.

During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments instituted a series of measures to control the spread of the virus. The measures were widely believed to increase women's risk of violent victimization, most of which is by an intimate partner. We examined help-seeking during this period in a large U.S. city and used an interrupted time series analysis to assess the effects of three government interventions on domestic violence and sexual assault hotline calls and on "911" calls regarding domestic violence, assault, and rape. Declaration of an emergency appeared to reduce victim calls to the rape crisis hotline and the few "911" calls about rape. School closure was associated with a reduction in "911" calls about assault and rape and victim calls to the domestic violence hotline. Implementation of stay-at-home orders was associated with a gradual increase in domestic violence hotline calls. Although "911" calls regarding assault fell by nearly half, calls to police for domestic violence were unchanged. In sum, there was a decrease in help-seeking for sexual assault and assault in general but not for domestic violence during the initial phases of the COVID-19 outbreak. The analysis underscores the importance of distinguishing between the violence itself, calls to police, and calls to helplines when claims are made about changes over time in violence against women. The opportunities and constraints for each can differ widely under usual circumstances, circumstances that were altered by public health interventions related to the pandemic.