International Journal of Conflict and Violence (IJCV)

The State of Prisons in India During Covid-19: The Impact on Incarcerated Persons

Harsh Mahaseth, Shalika, Apurva Ambasth — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The state of prisons in India is poor, especially in relation to overcrowding, healthcare and sanitation. The issue of medical facilities and adequate treatment was brought to light by the Covid-19 pandemic, where overcrowding led to a failure of compliance with the prescribed social distancing norms. This paper deals with the state of prisons in India, highlighting the impact of the pandemic and examining associated changes in incarceration rates. It analyses relevant Supreme Court orders and the effects of alternative house arrest and other state measures. In conclusion, the paper discusses the measures recommended by the United Nations to alleviate the impact of the virus on prisons.

The Fengqiao Experience: How China Relieves Its Police Officers of Pressures from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hongsong Liu, Yue Xu — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Police officers worldwide have encountered significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a lack of protective equipment, overwork, and the legality of emergency policing. This study explores how police officers in China have responded to public emergencies during the pandemic, using a comprehensive and multi-channel method of data collection and analysis. The primary and secondary data were obtained from questionnaires (N=713), semi-structured interviews (N=30), and official reports. The “Fengqiao Experience” demonstrates how China relieves pressure on police officers during the pandemic in both the short and long run. The experimental practices of Fengqiao, including material support and training mechanisms, non-contact law enforcement, intelligent analysis combined with big data, grid-based governance, and joint defense mechanisms, prove to be effective. Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is not only a test for the national governance system and its capabilities but also an opportunity to promote its modernization.

Examining “La Ayuda”: Law Enforcement and Latinos on Long Island during COVID-19

Karen Tejada-Peña, Natalia Navas — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

As part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, law enforcement agencies in Long Island’s Suffolk and Nassau Counties reached out to Latino immigrant communities with a message to “educate over enforce.” Yet, this messaging did not echo enough in the lives of immigrant communities who were the most vulnerable and hardest hit populations in the area. Based on fieldnotes from sixteen virtual meetings spanning five months (March–July), which are part of a larger qualitative project, we argue that communication gaps persisted and continued to plague community/police relations in several ways. First, the messaging around education was a one-way street with very little input from community members. Second, “light” enforcement still took place with the issuing of summons on social distancing and requiring mask wearing. Third, the closing down of precincts meant that there was no way to access police services, especially in Spanish, the community’s language. Finally, law enforcement’s response to the community’s needs was “virtually” absent. We conclude this examination with lessons learned so police departments can better serve and protect the immigrant community.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in South African Correctional Centres: Challenges and Solutions

Patrick Bashizi Bashige Murhula — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 January 2020. Many nations, including South Africa, have seen an increase in COVID-19 outbreaks in their population, including those working in and incarcerated in correctional centres. Responding to COVID-19 in correctional centres is a major challenge, particularly due to overcrowding and limited medical resources. This paper uses secondary data to investigate the spread of COVID-19 in South African correctional centres. It focuses on the problems faced by the South African Department of Correctional Services in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in its correctional facilities. The author proposes measures to be followed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in such facilities. The findings reveal that despite efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in South African correctional centres, the virus spread rapidly among inmates and prison workers.

“I Need Husband-Distancing”: Experience of Marital Conflict during the COVID-19 Emergency in South Korea

Sihyun Park, Yejung Ko — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of marital conflict during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emergency in South Korea by adapting the vulnerability-stress-adaptation model (VSA; Karney and Bradbury 1995). The public emergency of COVID-19 and social distancing policies caused emotional distress, social isolation, lack of support, and economic crisis in families, increasing the risk of marital conflict. Eleven women who reported experiencing severe marital conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed by telephone. The interview data were analyzed through directed content analysis. The women experienced 1) maladaptation to sudden life changes, 2) family role confusion, 3) economic crisis, and 4) invasion of personal space. These adverse experiences, along with the influence of their spouses’ personality traits, led to reduced physical and psychological interaction between the partners and severance of their relationship. Attention must be paid to the mental health and well-being of families to prevent their dissolution. There is an urgent need for community-based psychological intervention and support for families who are house-bound for long periods. Additionally, government policies are necessary to lighten or share the childcare burden on families during the crisis, so women are not compelled to take career breaks.

Violence Against Frontline Healthcare Workers in India: A Growing Menace in COVID-19 Times

Seema Rizvi, Neeraj Sharma, Anoop Velayudhan, Daya Krishan Mangal — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Our study aimed to understand the role of situational factors in instigating people to perform violence against frontline healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease outbreak in India. We performed a thematic analysis of secondary data, collected from online web pages of leading national and regional newspapers. The study proposed a framework linking situational factors and violence through the mechanism of emotional dynamics that led to aggression (stress, tension, and anger). Existing literature suggests that environmental and cognitive factors influence human learning and behaviour, and there is a chronological sequence of several activities to reach the point of committing violence. The current study identified three thematic areas: information deficit, mistrust in government actions, and socio-economic insecurities based on situational factors. False beliefs, rumours, lack of relief material, doubt in government actions, communication gap, and fear for life, land and livelihood were identified as situational factors. The study contributes to building a stronger theoretical foundation for the existing literature and filling the gap in effective intervention strategies for preventing such violent acts in the near future.

Encaged and Enraged: A Study of How Level of Aggression Relates to Perceived Crowdedness, Risk, and Boredom

Lap Yan Lo, Wang On Li — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Social distancing policies have been practiced in different regions around the world to minimize the number of cases of COVID-19. After an outbreak in mid-July 2020, the Hong Kong government adopted a series of administrative measures and strongly encouraged residents to stay at home. This lockdown period provided an opportunity to study variations in levels of aggression when people spend more time than usual in an overcrowded living environment. A total of 185 Hong Kong residents were recruited for this study. Their perceptions of the crowdedness of their living space, aggression level (measured using the BPAQ-SF), proneness to boredom (measured by the BFS-SF), and perceptions of risk regarding COVID-19 were collected via online questionnaires. Perceived crowdedness, proneness to boredom, and perceptions of susceptibility to COVID-19 were found to significantly predict the variance of different types of aggression in a regression model. In a mediation analysis, anger acted as a mediator of the relationship between proneness to boredom and different types of aggression. Participants’ perceptions of their susceptibility to COVID-19 suggested an underlying worry about the contagiousness of the virus, which was in turn associated with feelings of uncertainty and a rise in aggression level.

Effect of Covid-19 Lockdown on Women and Girls in Nigeria: Experiences of Gender-Based Violence, Insecurity and Wellbeing

Chinyere Cecilia Okeke, Ifeoma Maureen Obionu — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to explore the experiences of gender-based violence, insecurity, and health effect of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown among women and girls three to six weeks into lockdown measures in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional survey carried out in Nigeria among 1,243 women and girls aged between 10 and 79 from April to May 2020. Data was collected using an online web-based survey platform and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Epi-Info. There was a statistically significant difference in the experience of violence before and during the COVID-19 lockdown among women and young girls in Nigeria (P = 0.002). During the COVID-19 lockdown, respondents experienced physical (74, 30.8%), sexual (120, 50%), and emotional violence (46, 19.2%). Although various forms of insecurity were experienced among the respondents, the most common form experienced was financial insecurity (960, 77%). 738 respondents (58%) feared getting infected by the virus while 662 (52%) had increased anxiety during this period. The findings highlight some negative unforeseen effects of the lockdown measures taken to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect the people. This has important implications for decision-making for future pandemics and the provision of possible mitigating factors.