weekly
Written by: Lin Jiaqi
2020-06-02 19:00
Last update date: 2020-06-02 19:00Although the new coronary pneumonia epidemic in Hong Kong shows signs of easing, the number of people diagnosed worldwide has exceeded 6.1 million, and it continues to spread. Many countries have adopted the "closing the city" initiative to block the spread of the virus, and implemented policies such as mandatory isolation and limited social distance in order to reduce cross-infection between people. "Home quarantine" has also been recognized by various countries, but, Not everyone is suitable for "home". The premise of "home quarantine" is that "home" must be a safe and comfortable environment, otherwise, the risk of "living with people" may be greater than that of viruses.
"Have you ever experienced domestic violence?" "Yes." "Why not call the police?" "Because it doesn't happen often, he (the abuser) has slowly improved." "How long has it gone?" "A few years "This is a lot of concern about the dialogue between the organization and the victims of domestic violence. After encountering domestic violence, most of the victims did not immediately call the police and ask for help, but held hope that their days would gradually get better and that their relationship with the abuser would gradually improve.
Domestic violence is not new in Hong Kong. The Domestic Violence Ordinance was enacted earlier in 1986 to protect victims of domestic violence. Official figures also revealed that domestic violence cases have declined in recent years. On the surface, Hong Kong seems to have adequate protection for victims of domestic violence, and has successfully reduced the chance of domestic violence. However, is this the case?
"The original measures to protect people from being invaded by viruses may have a negative impact on victims of domestic violence." Anita Bhatia, deputy executive director of the UN Women's Agency, pointed out that social isolation measures have been effective in preventing and controlling the spread of the new crown virus However, the victims of domestic violence are trapped in a more dangerous situation.
UN Women urged governments to pay attention to the global domestic violence problem caused by the epidemic, and pointed to an increase in domestic violence cases in many countries. The number of domestic violence calls in Singapore, which is also a metropolis, rose by 30%. In Hong Kong, concerned organizations have announced cases of help for nearly three months, revealing signs that the problem is getting worse.
The Hong Kong Women’s Center Association’s permanent women’s helpline service has compiled information on cases of domestic violence requests for help from frontline social workers. From January to March 2020 alone, 34 cases of domestic violence related help were received, compared with 16 cases in the same period of the previous year. , More than doubled. (Profile picture)
Domestic violence calls for digital surge in outbreak
Figures from the Hong Kong Family Welfare Association show that between February and April of this year, the number of people seeking assistance in family services increased by 1.5 times compared with normal days; Feng Yulan, an organization concerned about women’s sexual violence, received 190 calls for help in March, up from previous years About 30%; another home of the same kind, Harmony House, also disclosed that the number of calls for help increased from 761 in January to 967 in March, an increase of more than 20% from the same period last year; Baoliang said that the number of requests for help increased from 651 in February Zong, 1,268 cases from March to March.
The soaring cases of domestic violence did not happen suddenly. Concerned organizations say that conflict is really a family stagnation that has been accumulated for a long time, but it is just in time for the epidemic. When there is more time to stay at home, there will be more conflicts between family members. "Most of their relationships have been in conflict. The emergence is only aggravating the conflict. Very small things, such as health problems, child discipline, etc., because there is nowhere to escape, and even the street can not fall, there is a "trapped animal fight" situation." Hong Kong Women's Center Association Education Officer Wang Yasi described it this way, because the quarantine at home made the already cracked relationship further torn apart, and had more time to get along, but did not properly repair the long-lost feelings.
Amy is one of the victims. She was reluctant to appear in the camera and even had to use a voice changer to change her voice. Such efforts to cover up your identity are the "sequelae" of domestic violence-loss of security and loss of trust in those around you. Even if I have temporarily stayed in the refuge center, I still have insomnia at night and get rid of the abuser, but I can't get rid of the nightmare-like memories and pain. Every time I say it, it is like pouring salt into the wound and tearing it.
Lin Xinru in "Who Is the Victim" plays a woman who married from Indonesia to Taiwan and experienced a domestic violence marriage. ("Who is the victim" stills)
Husband throws chair because of health problems
Amy spoke slowly about her experience. After marriage, the husband said at home that he overheared others making fun of himself. Amy just asked, "Are you having auditory hallucinations?" The husband was like a clockwork, madly throwing things, even throwing at Amy. The scar on her head is the proof that her husband threw the chair at her.
"Is this the first time?" "No, it happened before marriage (being treated with violence)." Amy said that they had been married for three years, and one year before entering the church, the other half had already committed violence against her, but At that time, only the limbs collided. This is the first time he has used a "weapon" against her. This time it is a chair. What will it be next time? Is it a kitchen knife?
The last time I saw my husband was in March. At that time, there were still local cases of new coronary pneumonia. The husband came back from the hospital and did not immediately take a shower and change clothes. Amy was afraid that he would bring the virus from the hospital. He asked him to pay attention to hygiene. Disgusted, thinking that Amy hated himself, angry and unwilling, picked up the chair and threw at Amy. This time, because of fear, she chose to call the police.
Amy reminded her husband who came home from the hospital to pay attention to hygiene, but he threw a chair and decided to call the police. (Profile picture)
She recalled that her husband had always treated herself with different forms of violence, including head-handed, cross-necked, and "manipulated violence"-after self-marriage, the husband asked Amy to take care of herself 24 hours a day At work, he was unable to meet with relatives, relatives, and friends, which indirectly led to Amy’s lack of a “tree hole” that he could talk to after every violent incident. clam down? Is there any chance for the relationship between the two to go back to the past?
Amy used to seek counseling services in community agencies. After each domestic violence incident, she tried to calm down her husband and talk to him. Unfortunately, these methods did not work at all, but the situation became more and more serious. The frequency of the husband's use of force from once in the past to now once every half a month.
Forget about being promised not to be hurt again, and the person who actively promised to be the perpetrator again today. Do you regret asking for help so late? Amy responded, "No, at least tried to deal with his emotional problems." As a victim, she even had the idea of saving the abuser.
According to research, after the first domestic violence, most of the abused people will talk to people around them on average from 2.1 to 2.7 years, and it will take an average of 5 years to find professionals such as social workers and police for help. (Profile picture)
Swallow the air and increase the chance of being abused
The Hong Kong Women’s Center Association recently announced that 34 cases of domestic violence-related help were received from January to March this year, more than doubling the 16 cases in the same period of the previous year. Among them, more than 70% of the victims had suffered physical violence, nearly 50% involved mental abuse, and 20% suffered from the above two types of violence; and 74% of the victims said that more than 30% of them suffered domestic violence incidents. Alarm handling.
Many people may wonder why the victims of domestic violence do not call the police for help, and tolerate the abuser to continue to hurt themselves? Amy was said to have been abused for less than four years, but only this time the police. She said that after every domestic violence in the past, there was no obvious physical injury, and she was afraid that the police would not accept it. She would only go to the door and talk about things. Her husband would not easily let go afterwards. She is worried about personal safety.
According to research, after the first domestic violence, most of the abused people will talk to people around them on average from 2.1 to 2.7 years, and it will take an average of 5 years to find professionals such as social workers and police for help. Even if the police report, not every victim is willing to testify the abuser through legal procedures. Wang Yasi explained: "First, no one arranges (injury), and the victim doesn't know that he can request an injury; second, he refuses (injury). It is possible that the victim still hasn't figured out the follow-up action at the last minute-is it divorced? Do you want to stay? If you stay, will the relationship become worse and be treated worse by the other party?"
Wang Yasi, education officer of the Hong Kong Women’s Center Association, said that many victims chose to call the police at the last minute and at the most dangerous juncture. (Photo by Gao Zhongming)
Harmony House, Fengyulan and Women’s Foundation issued a joint statement earlier, hoping that the government will include the problem of domestic violence in the relief of the epidemic, including requesting the government to increase funding to relevant institutions, subsidizing hotels for refuge centers, and considering introducing communities Help and alarm system.
During the epidemic, asylum centers of different institutions were close to saturation, and the asylum center of Harmony House was full of hospitals last month. According to the original plan, during the outbreak, the asylum center will keep the occupancy rate at about 60% as much as possible. It is hoped that beyond the social distance, the occupants will feel relieved about the health status of the center, but due to the large number of people asking for help , You can't turn people away. On the other hand, many organizations have adopted the "work at home" arrangement. Victims do not know how to ask for help and it becomes difficult for them to ask for help. Therefore, they hope that the government can follow the example of other cities and set up help points in supermarkets, pharmacies and other places. As far as possible to protect the victims, let them have one more way to ask for help.
Recently, the epidemic has a tendency to ease around the world, but the economic aftershock caused by it is likely to become a catalyst for another wave of domestic violence crisis. According to a 2012 study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the pressure of financial instability will lead to conflicts between family members and prompt more violence. Will domestic violence cases rise again after the epidemic? This is something that concerns the organization.
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Is it feasible to requisition hotels in asylum centers under the epidemic?
The above excerpt is from the 216th "Hong Kong 01" Weekly Report (June 1, 2020) "Being a "home" is no longer a "refuge"". ".
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