Emotional Abuse and the Pandemic in India: Implications for Policy, Research, and Practice

Abstract

During the COVID-19 outbreak, cases of violence and abuse have increased significantly around the world, necessitating a reevaluation of our relationships. Both violence and abuse seek to control and instill fear in the individual, gradually disrupting their overall well-being. Emotional abuse does not receive the same level of attention and social response as other forms of abuse due to its subtle nature. Its effects are as harmful as physical and sexual abuse, with serious consequences for the mental health of individual and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the importance of mental health. With the imposition of lockdown in India, the number of helplines for domestic violence and abuse has skyrocketed. Abuse experiences can be seen to be bidirectional; women are not alone in such instances. Many cases, however, go unreported and never reach formal institutions. The National Family Health Survey (2019–2021) reveals the current state of Indian health and nutrition, but emotional abuse (also referred to interchangeably in this article as emotional violence) only includes responses from women and is no longer included under “spousal violence” in the most recent edition. This article also includes recommendations and attempts to highlight existing shortcomings in addressing the issue of emotional violence. The articles cited in this article were obtained from electronic databases. Other secondary data sources mentioned include newspaper articles, magazines, census reports, and periodicals.