Violence during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ernesto Lopez

Chapter 29 in Research Handbook on Violent Crime and Society, 2025, pp 479-491 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, governments worldwide implemented restrictions on their populations, which included limiting public gatherings, resulting in a decrease in activity. The strain of the pandemic and the reduction of activity are expected to impact crime in different directions. A review of the literature from multiple countries reveals that violent crime reduced when these restrictions were in place. However, these reductions were short-lived as violent crime levels eventually returned to pre-pandemic levels. Homicide and serious assault data from 2019 to 2021 show notable variations in the levels of violent crime across regions. Homicide victimization trends differed by age group but not by sex; there were also differences by victim-offender relationship. While researchers should still endeavor to understand variations in violence during the pandemic, they must also look ahead and focus on the long-term negative consequences of COVID-19.

Keywords: Violence; Homicide; Assault; COVID-19; Trends; Victimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035317851
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