Azerbaijan has been rocked by a disturbing wave of domestic violence cases over the past month, involving brutal murders within families. Police have reported cases where children killed parents, parents murdered their own children, and in-laws became both victims and suspects. The shocking nature and brutality of these crimes have sparked alarm nationwide.
Historically, Azerbaijani society has prided itself on strong family values—respect for parents, devotion to children, and intergenerational solidarity have long formed the cultural backbone. But those time-honored traditions now appear to be crumbling.
What’s causing this breakdown of familial bonds? Why is violence replacing love?
Psychologist Fuad Asadov believes the root of the problem lies in society’s inability to handle emotional stress.
“This spike reflects deep psychological, social, and legal dysfunctions. People are overwhelmed by stress, depression, and emotional overload—but lack the tools or support to cope. In many families, relationships are built on obedience rather than communication, fear rather than love,” he explained.
Economic hardship, lack of emotional education, limited access to mental health care, and weak legal protections against domestic violence are also major contributors, he added.
“When love and respect are replaced by control and force, tragedy follows. To reverse this trend, we must expand access to mental health support, teach emotional intelligence from a young age, strengthen domestic violence laws, and encourage responsible media coverage,” Asadov said.
