Examining the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cases of Violence Against Women: An Evaluation Through Media News

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency of violence against women cases in our country through media news. It is a retrospective descriptive study. Using keywords, the news of the five national newspapers with the highest circulation were examined retrospectively, covering two years before and during the pandemic. The information in the data collection form was recorded in the SPSS file as much as available for each media news. Data were collected between August 1-31, 2022. Ethics committee permission was obtained. SPSS 22.0 package program was used in data analysis, and descriptive statistics were given as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Of the violence news examined, 29.5% occurred before the pandemic, and 70.5% occurred during the pandemic. The mean age of the victims of violence was 33.67±12.25 years, and the mean age of the perpetrators was 38.11±11.94 years. During the pandemic, the frequency of violence increased in the Marmara region, in the winter season, during daylight hours, in the home environment and among married women. In addition, it was observed that the frequency of violent cases in the form of beating and strangulation was increased while the frequency of death following violence was decreased. In order to prevent violence against women, it may be recommended to conduct awareness-raising activities at the societal level, keep regular records on a national scale, identify risk groups for intimate partner violence (risk-oriented approach), and plan more effective and solution-oriented measures by conducting detailed studies questioning social and demographic factors.