Psychological violence against women in Paraíba surges 41.2% in one year
Cases of psychological violence against women in the Brazilian state of Paraíba increased by 41.2% between 2024 and 2025, according to the 2026 Brazilian Public Security Yearbook. The state recorded 504 incidents in 2024, rising to 715 in 2025, with the rate per 100,000 women increasing from 23.6 to 33.3. Psychological violence, defined as conduct causing emotional harm, controlling behavior, or compromising a victim's development, is a crime under Brazilian law, encompassing threats, humiliation, manipulation, and isolation.
Parallel to this, stalking cases against women in Paraíba also saw a significant rise, with a 39.3% increase from 1,534 incidents in 2024 to 2,147 in 2025. The rate per 100,000 women grew from 71.7 to 99.9. This crime involves repeated pursuit that threatens a person's physical or psychological integrity. Nationally, the yearbook also highlighted a record number of femicides in 2025, with an average of four women killed daily, despite an overall decrease in violent deaths across Brazil. Other indicators of violence against women, including non-compliance with protective measures and threats, also showed increases.
The reported surge in psychological violence and stalking against women in Paraíba, alongside national trends of increased femicides, suggests a critical gap between legal frameworks and effective enforcement or societal prevention. While legislative measures like Law nº 14.188/2021 and nº 14.132/2021 criminalize these acts, the rising statistics indicate that awareness, reporting mechanisms, and victim support systems may be insufficient. The data prompts an examination of underlying societal factors contributing to these forms of abuse, including cultural norms that may perpetuate gender inequality and control. Future strategies should consider a multi-faceted approach, integrating enhanced public awareness campaigns, improved access to psychological and legal aid for victims, and robust data collection to monitor the efficacy of interventions, ensuring that legal protections translate into tangible safety for women.
AI-generated to prompt reflection — not editorial opinion, not advice, not a statement of fact. How this works.