In This Story
Originally published on July 16, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened intimate partner and domestic violence issues but understanding how is important, a panel of experts suggested on Wednesday afternoon. Any time there is a disaster, marginalized groups are often affected in worse ways than others, despite what type of disaster it may be.
As a result of the pandemic, 30 to 40 million people—mostly men—were put out of work. Psychologists typically agree that being the “bread-winner” of the family is a pillar of masculinity, and unemployment, paired with worsening financial situations, may have caused anxiety in the male population, leading to increased levels of domestic violence.
These were some of the hidden realities of the pandemic discussed in an hour-plus webinar sponsored by the Schar School’s (GAP). More than 60 people attended the virtual event that was moderated by , GAP director, and Guillermo de los Reyes, associate director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at the ĢAV of Houston.
The panelists included Angela Hattery, co-director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Gender Based Violence at the ĢAV of Delaware; Tlara Willie, assistant professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Elizabeth Gregory, director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at the ĢAV of Houston; Jhumka Gupta, an associate professor at the College of Health and Human Services at George Mason ĢAV; and Barbara Paradiso, director of the Center on Domestic Violence at the ĢAV of Colorado Denver.
Researchers of domestic violence, the panelists said, have realized that domestic violence issues spike when pregnancy begins, as women become focused on things other than their intimate partner, which can cause feelings of jealousy, especially in men. The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many mothers to begin home-schooling their children, likely raised the anxiety levels of both spouses, who were already dealing with greater financial strains. For more, view a full recording of the discussion.