FORENSIC NURSING IN THE FACE OF DIGITAL VIOLENCE: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES IN VICTIM CARE

Abstract

To describe the role of the forensic nurse in assisting victims of digital violence, highlighting the main challenges and possibilities for intervention in this constantly growing scenario. An integrative literature review was conducted using articles available in databases such as Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), PubMed/MEDLINE, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS). Health descriptors (DeCS)/Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were used, combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR. Full-text articles published between 2021 and 2025, in Portuguese or English, were included, resulting in 27 studies analyzed in full. The findings showed that digital violence presents different manifestations, such as cyberbullying, online harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, hate speech, and digital control practices, all associated with psychological harm such as anxiety, depression, social isolation, and risk of suicide. It was also identified that the preservation of digital evidence still occurs in a fragmented manner, hindered by the absence of protocols, failures in the chain of custody, and limited training of nurses in the collection and documentation of digital data. On the other hand, the studies highlight the expansion of the forensic nurse's role in digital education, humanized care, participation in multidisciplinary teams, guidance on evidence preservation, and mediation between victims and the justice system. It is concluded that the role of the forensic nurse in addressing digital violence is essential; however, it requires improvement through specific training, the creation of standardized protocols, and greater intersectoral integration, in order to ensure qualified care, effective preservation of evidence, and the promotion of justice for victims.