Experience and Perception of DEAMs Workers under the Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to concern about how the pandemic would impact violence against women and the complexity involved in this problem, the objective of this study is to understand the experience of workers at Delegacia Especializada no Atendimento à Mulher (DEAM) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a qualitative, exploratory, and cross-sectional study carried out with semi-structured interviews with police officers from DEAMs and analyzed using thematic analysis. As a result, three main themes and ten sub themes related to institutional, social, and pandemic aspects emerged. Highlighted are (a) the importance of the work environment for health and job satisfaction and (b) the impact of COVID-19 safety measures on institutional functioning. From the analysis of the interviews, it is concluded that there is still a need for greater investment by the State in terms of personnel and legislative effectiveness and the specialized network. In this way, workers might have adequate working conditions for respectful and effective care.