Evaluation of violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey in terms of routine activities theory

In order to effectively combat violence against women, the state should strongly give the message that violence against women will not be tolerated, as a result of its positive obligations. Violence against women, which continues to exist as a problem throughout the world, has increased in Turkey as well as in many countries during the pandemic. The main purpose of this study is to examine the situations and statistics in connection with violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey in terms of Routine Activities Theory (RAT). Since the pandemic has a different structure due to social relations, restrictions and other side factors, the need to reevaluate violence against women with this different structure has emerged. In this way, the use of RAT was found to be meaningful in our study in terms of better explaining the violence against women and offering solutions during the pandemic process, where situational factors are important and the concept of time is prominent. In the study, statistics and official sources published by government departments were analyzed as much as possible. However, although it is tried to focus on statistics published by state bodies, there are not enough statistics to obtain meaningful results in this regard. Therefore, our findings were supported by newspaper reports and the data of non-governmental organizations. Based on these, changes in the crime and punishment policy and other legal factors that occurred throughout the world and especially in Turkey during the pandemic process were given as an example. These examples given are evaluated in terms of the three main elements of routine activities theory: motivated offender, suitable target, and absence of a capable guardian. Violence against women is a public health problem. This problem, which peaks in times of crisis such as the pandemic, should be analyzed well and a firm stance should be taken against this problem in order not to relapse for future generations.