Detection of Expressions of Violence Targeting Health Workers with Natural Language Processing Techniques


Varol Arısoy M., Yalçınkaya M. A., Gürfidan R., Arısoy A.

Applied Sciences (Switzerland), vol.15, no.4, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 15 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.3390/app15041715
  • Journal Name: Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Keywords: natural language processing, text classification, violence detection, violence in health
  • Isparta University of Applied Sciences Affiliated: No

Abstract

The aim of this study is to detect expressions of violence against healthcare workers using natural language processing techniques. Experiments on various NLP models have shown that violent expressions can be successfully classified using textual data. The RAG-ECE model performed the best in this study with a 97.97% accuracy rate and a 97.67% F1 score. The model provided a strong balancing performance in the “no violence” class with 97.71% precision and 97.67% recall rates. In the “violence present” class, it reached 97.67% accuracy and was evaluated as a reliable classifier with both low false positive (3.92%) and low false negative (2.78%) rates. In addition to RAG-ECE, the GPT model provided a milder alternative with 96.19% accuracy and a 96.26% F1 score. The study also compared the performances of other models, such as GPT, BERT, SVM, and NB, and stated that they are considered suitable alternatives due to their low computational costs, especially in small- and medium-sized datasets. The findings of the study show that NLP-based systems offer an effective solution for the early detection and prevention of expressions of violence against healthcare workers.