Violência contra idosos relatada em notícias durante a pandemia do novo coronavírus

The impact of social detachment is especially problematic for the elderly, as many have already suffered violence at home and others are living more intensely in this pandemic period. The aim of this study was to analyze the news related to violence against elderly people broadcast in Brazil during the pandemic period through an ethnographic research through the internet (netnography). A search was carried out through an internet browser using the following phrase "Violence against the elderly in the State of _______ during the pandemic", with the blank space being filled by the 27 federative units, 26 states and one Federal District. The Northeast region had the highest number of news and the state of Pernambuco the highest percentage of informed increase. The most frequent cases were negligence, physical, psychological and verbal violence. The news linked the increase in complaints to the fact that isolation leads to stress and family friction, in addition to intensifying situations of neglect that existed before the pandemic. The reduction reported in some states may be related to underreporting due to difficulty in accessing the means of reporting or the fact that the person responsible for the violence is usually a close relative of the elderly.