What do we know about violence against women in pandemic times? Insights based on search trends

Abstract

Purpose: This short communication aims to assess the situation of domestic violence against women in Brazil during social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We extracted data from Google Trends showing the magnitude of searches on the topics domestic violence and complaint and then compared with the data of the complaint reports of the Brazilian Forum for Public Safety (FBSP). Results: Searches on Google containing those terms have increased while the complaints reports against domestic violence have decreased. Conclusion: The growth of searches about domestic violence and domestic violence complaints indicates the possibility of a real rise in this type of violence in Brazil.