…to COVID-19 lockdown
Your Eyewitness noticed a very interesting piece on the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on domestic violence. They were positively correlated – according to the Chancellor of the Judiciary, who used Police statistics to buttress her claim. In these matters, as a veteran of the legal profession, who’s risen to the very pinnacle of her profession, the Chancellor would know that one can’t automatically transmute “correlation” to “causation”. We need evidence for that. It’s hoped that our university, or the NGOs working in the social services field, or the Ministry of Social Services would conduct a study into this phenomenon, since, from evidence across the world, there’s gonna be several waves that’ll force future lockdowns.
But, in the meantime, your Eyewitness – in lockdown himself (but, thankfully, not inflicting violence on those around him!) resorted to the internet, which has been his major outlet to “cabin fever” – something he’d only read about before – to find out what was the reaction elsewhere where they’ve taken the time to conduct actual studies, and not just rushed to conclusions.
There was one Swiss study – and we know they’re already used to periods of lockdown because of their winters in their mountains. They found that loneliness, depression and anxiety increased precipitously. An English study reaffirmed this conclusion. In terms of the reaction to these pathologies, they found that the use of the internet skyrocketed. Your Eyewitness – as confirmed by his IPad’s meticulous daily report – was in good company!! The Swiss also found their kids suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No increased domestic violence, thank you.
A French study showed that, for a lot of folks, time seemed to slow down – something your Eyewitness empathises with! But another French study had a very interesting finding with college-age students: those with prior depression experienced greater increases in anxiety. This link of reaction with predisposed inclinations mirrored a very wide study in Africa, done through a review of journal articles on our exact topic of COVID and domestic violence: “COVID gave perpetrators who are already attracted to coercive controlling behaviours another weapon.”
Your Eyewitness quotes the summary of the findings: “From the review done in selected African countries which include Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe; it was discovered that COVID-19 lockdown across these countries worsens the already existing cases of Domestic Violence (DV). The study also noted that generally, the response of the government has been very poor in terms of dealing with DV cases in the period of COVID-19 lockdown.”
The experts are saying the COVID lockdown symptoms are the same everywhere – depression, anxiety and loneliness; but the EFFECTS are dependent on our pre-existing cultural tendencies.
…in South Africa
Ever since Mandela’s magnanimous gesture of holding no grudges against his White jailers of 27 years, after the walls of apartheid came tumbling down in 1994, South Africa’s been the cynosure of many eyes in the Third World. If for no other reason than their bold experiment of letting bygones be bygones was a beacon of hope for their own troubled efforts to free themselves from the debilitations of colonialism. The Blacks, Whites, Coloureds and Indians seemed to be moving ahead in Africa’s most developed economy.
But, right now, it appears that the fragile structure might be unravelling in the wake of former President Zuma’s conviction and imprisonment for accepting bribes. The trial was open and aboveboard, but his Zulu tribesmen have rejected the verdict and are now rioting, looting, and attacking their fellow citizens who happen to be of different races. At this time, over 30 persons have been killed, and President Ramaphosa has been forced to call out the army.
Let’s hope order is restored soon.
…in WI Cricket
They say “all good things must come to an end” – the second law of thermodynamics and all that!
But it does seem that the Universe Boss is determined to go out with a bang!! Go, Chris Gayle!
