Anaia Leilani Jolie, MS
Family Violence
Domestic Violence
According to Ashleigh Carter of Now This,
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference that New York State Police have reported an increase of 15 to 20% in domestic violence calls.
California, Fresno County Sheriff's Office reportedly saw a 77% increase in domestic violence reports during the week of March 16 to 22, compared to the week before. The area’s domestic violence shelter, Marjaree Mason Center, said it received a 30% increase in crisis calls that same week. In the state of Washington, the Seattle Police Department reported 21% more domestic violence calls in March, when a stay-at-home order was issued.
Specifically, the hotline mention closing. Five Family Justice Centers in New York City, which are typically a confidential outlet for victims, temporarily closed.
Relationships and Mental Health
Recent studies from Ireland and the USA have found that negative social interactions and relationships, especially with partners/spouses, increase the risk of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, while positive interactions reduce the risk of these issues.
Researchers have even shown that people with healthy social relationships have a 50 percent greater likelihood of survival. ... People with poor relationships are more likely to suffer from depression, and loneliness is powerful enough to weaken our immune system. These facts are of increased significance during a viral pandemic. A healthy immune system is a first defense against a viral infection. Abusive relationships harm our mental and physical health so I'd you are in one or suspect the involvement of a neighbor, friend or family member Get help.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline encourages victims of abuse to reach out to their services by calling 1-800-799-7233, or text LOVEIS to 22522. If you are unable to reach out, online resources are available including safety planning.
A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. Safety planning involves how to cope with emotions, tell friends and family about the abuse, take legal action and more.
National Domestic Violence Hotline. The National Domestic violence hotline has a list of sample safety plans according to specific situations. There are list safety plans when living with an abusive partner alone, with children, or with pets.
Child abuse during Covid 19
Schools and day cares closed and many routine outpatient visits postponed or transitioned to virtual visits to prevent the spread of COVID-19, adults may not recognize that a child may be in an unsafe situation.
Emergency rooms and other sites of primary care can easily miss the signs of child abuse, domestic violence, sex trafficking and other dangerous events for children and adults.
Studies indicates that economic uncertainty is associated with increases in harsh parenting, which may be a risk for child abuse. The added pressure and isolation of home-schooling and social distancing may add to this risk. In industries where parents are still required to work, unanticipated child-minding needs may mean that babysitters aren’t vetted as they’d normally be.We know that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused by age 20. In times of stress, it’s a good idea to avoid hiring unknown male babysitters, as boys are more likely to “act out” and repeat a cycle, while girls (and girl babysitters) are more likely to take it out on themselves.
Protecting Children During Covid-19
Observe
Neighbors, Counselors, Social Workers- Contact Resources Online if you suspect child abuse or neglect. Although we are in quarantine, we may notice behavior of a neighbor, or we may know of families with histories of abuse and neglect.
Call them.
Reach out
Check on children and families with a history of abuse and neglect
Call
Skype
Zoom
Speak to a crisis counselor within the US, Canada and the UK. The Crisis Text Line is available to help individuals dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, providing free 24/7 support to those who need it.
The Effects of Childhood Trauma on Mental Health
Trauma is a risk factor for nearly all behavioral health and substance use disorders.
More than two thirds of children reported at least 1 traumatic event by age 16.
The impact of child traumatic stress can last well beyond childhood. In fact, research has shown that child trauma survivors may experience:
Learning problems, including lower grades and more suspensions and expulsions
Increased use of health and mental health services
Increase involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems
Long-term health problems (e.g., diabetes and heart disease)
Potentially traumatic events include:
Psychological, physical, or sexual abuse
Community or school violence
Witnessing or experiencing domestic violence
National disasters or terrorism
Commercial sexual exploitation
Sudden or violent loss of a loved one
Refugee or war experiences
Military family-related stressors (e.g., deployment, parental loss or injury)
Physical or sexual assault
Neglect
Serious accidents or life-threatening illness
Covid 19 is a National disaster.
It can also include: Sudden or violent loss of a loved one, Physical or sexual assault, Neglect and Serious accidents or life-threatening illness
Children who have experienced complex trauma often have difficulty identifying, expressing, and managing emotions, and may have limited language for feeling states. They often internalize and/or externalize stress reactions and as a result may experience significant depression, anxiety, or anger.
The majority of abused or neglected children have difficulty developing a strong healthy attachment to a caregiver. Children who do not have healthy attachments have been shown to be more vulnerable to stress, anxiety, depression, disease, behavioral problems and suffer relationship attachment issues.
Parent-Child Activities to deal with isolation and Stress During Covid-19
Learning can be fun—With uncertainty about the return to school, many parents are fretting about the potential loss of academics for their children. Everyday activity and life lessons teach children.
Cooking teaches science and math
Cooking teaches Nutritional values
Yard work teaches about nature and can inspire creative art projects
Reading together enriches vocabulary and listening skills.
Virtually visit more than 1,200 museums around the world via Google Arts and Culture.
See the world through your children’s eyes—Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? Do you remember how boring it was to watch the news? Do you remember how cool it was when your parents did spontaneous things with you?
Roast marshmallows on the bbq
Go “camping” in the living room
Make a pillow fort
Create a nature scavenger hunt
Dealing with the Lack of food acquired at school
Many poor families rely on school breakfasts and lunches. This may cause more economic stress when parents are experiencing job loss and economic uncertainty. There are several community resources helping with food needs.
Call friends or family for help
If necessary create a GoFundMe page
Locate community food bank numbers and websites and call to check on COVID-19 resources
Adjusting to Online Schooling
Schools ave closed in 188 countries and will affect over 1.5 billion children. Most countries have shifted to online learning models. Online schooling may pose a new stressor for
parents and families accustomed to lives outside of the home. Furthermore, many may find it difficult to navigate online schooling due to limited experience in homeschooling.
Other families may lack adequate resources for online learning and/or parents may not be software savvy. Here are tips for dealing with schooling in quarantine.
PC Classes for Parents
GCFFreeEd. ( a great resource for general online pc skills such as email use, internet use, etc.
FutureLearn Great Resource for free adult PC tutorial classes as well as educational classes.
Tips for Navigating Online Schooling
Create a schedule: Stick to routines or create new ones. Wake up in the morning at the usual time: shower, get dressed, have breakfast.
Set up a place in your home where your student can focus on schoolwork: a desk, a quiet corner.
Show respect for teachers: They've been tasked with shifting to distance learning virtually overnight.
Curriculum Resources
Childhood Bonding and Mental Health
Quality time and time spent with a significant person who is consistently present in a child’s life plays a crucial role in helping them develop resilience. This person—often a parent or other family member—is someone your child spends a lot of time with and knows they can turn to when they need help.
Show your children how to solve problems.
Your response to Covid19 is a learning opportunity for your child. It will set an example of resilience, and examples of how to deal with stress and fear.
Help children and youth develop self-esteem, so that they feel good about themselves.*****
Addiction Relapse and Suicide Ideation
Addiction Relapse
The struggle with addiction is one that requires support, coping skills and oftentimes the absence of trigger situations.
Addiction Relapse can occur due to abnormal or normal stressors. Those who struggle with addiction usually also struggle with mental illness and poverty. Poverty decreases the ability to acquire Therapy and learn coping mechanisms and find support. The most prevalent problems experienced during recovery are: dealing with cravings and triggers.
Dealing with Triggers and Isolation During COVID-19
Text, Chat, Facetime your Sponsor
Attend online AA, NA, CA meetings. Anonymous meeting websites are encouraging members to attend online meetings.
Volunteer to lead Online Meetings
Know yourself. Remove all known triggers from your home. Old photos ok s, books, unhealthy food, block t.v. shows that may trigger, etc
Create an Online Blog about your Addiction to help Others. Talk Therapy is oftentimes the best way to relieve negative emotions.
Began a new indoor hobby
Relax and/ or Meditate
See an Online Therapist
Suicide
Suicidal Ideation is common during pandemics due to overwhelming circumstances, unforeseen circumstances and increased Isolation. Increased isolation, job
oss, international uncertainty, and health concerns can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Meditate
Online or Tele Therapy
Designate a Support Buddy- designate the one friend that you can call at any hour. There are also suicude hotlines if you need an emergency ear.
Adopt a Pet
Turn the Channel- Stay Safe by wearing protective gear, disinfecting packages, boxes, etc and washing your hands, maintain proper distancing, but also Designate a time of day for a Covid update and then change the Channel or Find something else to do
Create what if scenarios when you are in a good mood to mentally prepare for a worse case scenario.
Food and Water Safety for Superior Physical and Mental Health During a Pandemic
Studies about the “food-mood connection” have been limited and have shown mixed results. In some studies, people who don’t have a healthy diet were more likely to report symptoms of depression or other mental health issues. And there appears to be some association between certain nutrients in food and emotional well being. These nutrients include omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins, and tryptophan. These are all found in foods that are part of a healthy diet.
Keep canned goods and non perishable foods for emergencies
Keep bottled water, Life Straws for Power Outages and Boil Water to Free Water of Hazardous waste
Learn to Garden by buying Self Grow Food Kits. Beginner food kits can be obtained on Amazon and tutorials on YouTube.
wipe or wash cans and boxes of food before storing them to reduce possible virus content. You can also throw out disposable packaging. When you’re done, wash any tables,countertops, or other surfaces that were touched by your groceries or grocery bags.
And wash your hands again.
HATE CRIMES
Rampant ignorance and misinformation about the novel coronavirus, experts say, has led to racist and xenophobic attacks against fellow Americans or anyone in the US who looks East Asian.
Asian Americans and Asian immigrants to the U.S. deserve our thanks for their role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. First of all, they are vastly over-represented among the front line medical workers who are treating those who have been infected. Seventeen percent of doctors, 9% of physician’s assistants and nearly 10% of nurses in the United States are of Asian descent.
Educate yourself on the Covid-19 virus. There have been coronaviruses historically. Coronaviruses were first discovered in the 1930s when an acute respiratory infection of domesticated chickens was shown to be caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). In the 1940s, two more animal coronaviruses, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), were isolated.[8]
Human coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s.[9] The earliest ones studied were from human patients with the common cold, which were later named human coronavirus 229E and human coronavirus OC43.[10] Other human coronaviruses have since been identified, including SARS-CoV in 2003, HCoV NL63 in 2004, HKU1 in 2005, MERS-CoV in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. Most of these have involved serious respiratory tract infections.
Mind your Mental Input- What we place in our minds infects our bodies and spirits which then promotes attitude and action . Negative thoughts and actions harm your immune system.
Educate yourself on Other Cultures- Google Cultures is not just a good resource for children.
Report any suspicious hate crimes.
Homelessness
HUD alleges there are around 553,000 homeless people in the United States on a given night, or 0.17% of the population. I suspect that the number is far more staggering. According to Yale university based on national reports, it's estimated that no less than 150 million people, or about 2 percent of the world's population, are homeless. However, about 1.6 billion, more than 20 percent of the world's population, may lack adequate housing.
During Covid-19, the Salvation Army and Red Cross are providing relief efforts but citizen participation is required presently.
Donate
Talk to friends, family and neighbors who may need help.
Mail Groceries or order Groceries online for a Family Member
As mentioned earlier, for those homeless or hungry contact local food banks shelters, the Salvation Army and Red Cross.
It is better to find temporary housing in an empty home that is safe than sleep on the street and come in contact with the virus.
Animals and Pets
Many animals provide a great source of love, give us a sense of responsibility and support. Our pets are our major supporting actors during crises in our lives and loyal companions.
Identify someone who can help if you are hospitalized or become too ill to care for your pet.
Some animals, however, will suffer unjustly during Covid-19 due to shelter closings and staff quarantines. This will result in euthanasia for many of these precious creatures who can provide mental and emotional support. You can contact your local animal shelter or animal rights organizations to adopt or foster animals during Covid-19. https://www.petango.com/
Other Resources:
Hotlines and support for Men
U.S. and Canada: 1-800-799-7233 – The National Hotline Domestic Violence Men
UK: 01823 334244 – ManKind InitiativeManKind Initiative
Ireland: 046 902 3710 – AMENAmenIreland
Australia: One in Three Campaign offers a number of crisis
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