Gender violence: data and reflections in times of pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Violence against women is a public health problem, the prevalence of which increased as a result of the declaration of the state health emergency due to COVID-19. The
objective of this review article was to describe the statistics regarding cases of gender
violence during confinement by COVID-19, its related factors, concepts, and reflections
on the role of forensic medicine. A total of 48 articles were included. Review results
confirmed that cases of violence against women increased by 20% globally since the
start of the pandemic.
Confinement exacerbates psychological factors in members of the family nucleus and
aggressive behaviors in perpetrators. Forensic medicine is essential for the prosecution
of cases. It is concluded that the increase in cases is due to sociodemographic, family,
cultural, religious factors and associated psychological and psychiatric pathologies;
furthermore, force confinement during the pandemic was evidently another component for the growth of gender violence against women.