Is War to Blame? Why is There a Surge in Domestic Violence in Armenia?
Statistics from the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office show an unprecedented 168 per cent increase in domestic violence in 2024. The number of cases of physical violence – its most common form – increased by 151% in 2024, while murders related to domestic violence increased from 3 in 2023 to 13 in 2024.
This is the highest figure since 2018, when Armenia’s domestic violence law, passed a year earlier, came into force. Prior to that, such crimes were dealt with under the general provisions of the Armenian Criminal Code. The trend continues this year.
Human rights activists note that the sharp increase in such offences occurred after the 2020 war, as well as subsequent escalations on the Armenian -Azerbaijani border and Azerbaijan’s final offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, which led to the capitulation of the unrecognised republic and the mass exodus of almost the entire Armenian population – more than 120,000 people, most of whom found refuge in Armenia.
What is behind the surge in domestic violence in Armenia?
The Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office told DW that it has no analytical data to explain the increase in domestic violence. Meanwhile, human rights activists link this to the psychological impact of the 2020 war and its aftermath, as international practice shows that the level of domestic violence often increases 3-5 years after a conflict.
‘The increase in cases of violence, which manifests itself 3-5 years later, is linked to both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the socio-economic consequences of war, as well as the lack of a consistent and developed support system,’ Zara Ovanisyan from the Yerevan Women’s Support Centre said in an interview with DW.
According to her, this contrasts with the immediate post-war period, when various aid groups were set up to offer support to victims. In addition, alcohol consumption is on the rise among war veterans ‘as a way out of the situation,’ which, according to Ovanisyan, ‘is one of the factors contributing to violence.’
‘Of course, during the climax of the war itself, the number of cases of domestic violence also increased, if you look at the database, but at the same time, given various psychological factors, violence intensifies and becomes more frequent,’ Karine Davtyan, founder and director of the NGO Women’s Rights House, told DW.
Karine Davtyan also links this increase to monthly information campaigns conducted by human rights organisations aimed at helping women across the country, as well as to growing trust in support centres and NGOs, which encourages women to report cases of domestic violence more often. According to data obtained by Davtyan from the Armenian authorities, by 30 September 2025, 1,588 cases of domestic violence had already been registered in Armenia, exceeding the total for 2024.
The situation, according to Ovanisyan, is ‘more complicated’ in the families of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. “Many men were in the military, witnessed armed conflicts, but never received any support. Women have always resigned themselves to the need to survive and to fear, remaining silent for years, and now, having lost everything, they are faced with material and economic difficulties. All these are factors that influence the severity of cases,” says Ovanisyan.
International statistics on the increase in violence after conflicts
Research by international organisations confirms the increase in domestic violence during and after armed conflicts. This trend was noted in the 2020 Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) report ‘Review of Violence against Women’, which analyses the impact of conflict on the experiences of women who have suffered violence. The report is based on data from a survey conducted by the OSCE in April and September 2018 in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine and Kosovo.
Statistics show that intimate partner violence increases to 54% in the five years following a conflict, compared to less than 25% before and during the conflict.
Violence is more likely to be perpetrated by those who have participated in war than by those who have not. “The circumstances of war are not considered a cause of domestic violence, but participation in military conflicts and the impact of military trauma can be a “trigger” for violent episodes and contribute to an increase in the intensity and scale of domestic violence,” according to the 2022 report by the feminist network for the protection of women’s and children’s rights, Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE).
An OSCE representative told DW that the results of the same 2020 report showed that women affected by conflict, especially refugees and displaced persons, ‘faced a higher degree of violence.’ ‘The report also highlights the persistent taboo surrounding the discussion of violence experienced during and as a result of the conflict, which contributes to low reporting rates and limited access to support services,’ the OSCE told DW.
Participation in armed conflict has long-term physical and psychological consequences for many men. According to the OSCE, respondents in all countries surveyed stated that these conditions, compounded by financial difficulties, led to increased alcohol and drug use, which contributes to an increase in domestic violence.
