Written by Robert D. Sollars
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“It’s a personal matter, isn’t it?” Yes, it is a personal matter between two, or a group of, people but usually, it’s a significant other. Yet in this time of the coronavirus with far too many people unvaccinated, unmasked, & belligerent about those things, sometimes we’re forced to ‘shelter in place’ and quarantining people ourselves…it becomes a simple precaution to recognize the issues it also presents itself to safety & security of students, employees, as well as the organizations due to the isolation it causes.
DV has grown exponentially since this whole quarantining in place has started in March 2020. I’ve seen news reports from everywhere, where it’s been growing. People are being sequestered with the abusers they try to stay away from but are now, in some cases, told to “Buck up, nothing we can do, not enough police on the streets”, remember the “defund the police” movement…which has taken hold of several major cities.
Since I write about security issues, I’ll tell you that 48% of all incidents, of workplace/School violence (WPV/SV), start as DV. This means that if the virus continues to grow & mutate for much longer, then WE WILL HAVE more instances of WPV/SV in our organizations after the virus is cured…much like the flu or common cold.
Any issue that inflicts physical, mental, or emotional harm to someone, including, Constant yelling and berating. An area of DV that isn’t often considered when talking about it. Verbal abuse is harmful if it goes on long enough.
One fact that you have to keep in mind when defining DV is that anyone can be verbally assaulted. Verbal abuse can be as destructive in a relationship as physical abuse. Many incidents of WPV involve verbal abuse and assaults.
Think about the number of people you may personally know and innumerable stories of DV you hear about on a daily basis within your community. Whether those incidents are broadcast on the news as something else… who knows.
If it spills over into an organization, as in 48% of the time, 99% of men in DV incidents, will take out their anger on whoever may be around or try to shield/protect the victim. In their eyes, the people who are in the way, legitimately or not, are trying to keep them from their property.
That term, Property, is what the perpetrator believes. The victim, whether it be a significant other, child, parent, or otherwise, is their property to do with as they see fit. The only major difference between these Familial relationships? They can be violent…from physical, mental, psychological, and emotional and instigate PTSD.
A report from the Barrows Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ. in September 2017, that as many as 5% of all DV victims have suffered a concussion with many of those having a permanent injury. Injuries such as;
• Mental loss
• debilitating seizures
• loss of coordination
• Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD)
as well as other examples of someone who has suffered severe head trauma.
It doesn’t matter whether you believe DV is a serious issue, during this virus or not, it is a serious issue for the victims. Unfortunately, I know of a few women who have been visited by DV. Some were emotional, sexual, and others were physical. This is a personal issue for me for that exact reason. Many people I have loved have been hit hard, no pun intended, with DV. It is significant for everyone since it creates chaos, havoc, & destruction. Whether they witnessed it or just know someone injured, threatened, or had the holy living shit scared out of them.
A fatality doesn’t necessarily have to occur for it to be injurious. Tallying the emotional trauma and psychological damage done to individuals should be enough. Usually, you will never know who is mentally fragile until an incident occurs and then it’s too late. A statistic that may prove enlightening on this: 3 – 4 women are murdered by their significant other every…single…day & most are not at work.
Everyone gets distraught from time to time and screams at our family members once in a while. We may even call them names that we later apologize and regret. But for some people, sometimes that anger can explode into physical contact that can hurt long after the bruises, cuts, welts, broken bones, & scratches have healed. Forcing these victims to ‘shelter in place or sequester’ with the abusers in this time of coronavirus is never good for them.
Unfortunately, it’s now socially acceptable because no one is there to see or report it, especially if the abused are too scared…which many are…have no doubts about that aspect of DV.
This virus, arguments over wearing masks, and getting vaccinated will see a continued rise in DV statistics and women & children seeking shelter.
Animal shelters are also overwhelmed and those are the silent victims of DV that no one considers…a child’s best friend or significant others are parted from them…leaving them in a darkened space with the walls closing in around them…the psychological effects can be devastating & just compounding the effects of the abuse they’ve already endured.
Contact: Sollars Violence Prevention Training & Consulting
It happens to Anyone…Any Time…Anywhere… For any Reason
I May Be Blind, but My Vision Is Crystal Clear
Permission to share? Of course, with full attribution.
Copyright 2021 Robert D. Sollars
