A configuração da rede social de mulheres em situação de violência doméstica

Abstract

This article presents the configuration of the social network of women living in domestic violence situations in a city in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Interviews were conducted with 9 women and 8 professionals, in addition to observation in three institutions which constitute the network for protection of women. The analysis was underpinned by the theoretical assumptions of social networks. Results show that violence inflicted upon women by their partners make them unable to establish and maintain social bonds, and thus face isolation and ostracism. Professionals and institutions can play a vital role for getting women out of the cycle of violence provided that care networks and services are well organized. Further studies of social networks, focusing on the nature of the links and exchanges among actors may contribute to acquiring knowledge about the relationship dynamics in situation of violence.

The Significant Social Networks of Women Who Have Resided in Shelters

“…In line with these data, the studies by Dutra, Prates, Nakamura and Villela (2013) and Santos and Moré (2011) reveal that the absence of relatives may be related to fear, guilt and/or shame because of the violence situation, making the women take distance from the family relations and remain socially isolated. On the other hand, this study shows that, when the women left the shelter, the number of relatives increased, with greater concentration of people in the internal circle, showing the increased degree of relationships and the family members' more effective participation.…”

“…In line with Dutra and Villela (2012) and WHO (2002), it is important for the professionals who work with the violence demand to have continuing education, based on the women's listening and welcoming, on their acknowledgement as people with rights and on the forwarding articulated with the other sectors of the protection network for women, mainly when the situation is life-threatening. In this quadrant of the Map, people from the shelter where the women were welcomed were also mentioned.…”

“…(P7) With regard to the access to new contacts and the consequent forwarding to other services, studies have shown that, when attending to women in situations of violence, in general, the health professionals' role is to treat what is related to their practice, that is, the visible signs of the violence (Dutra & Villela, 2012;Lettiere & Nakano, 2011). In the statement above, the nurse offered more than apparent (cuts and injuries) care, leading to the forwarding to the city's social service secretary, in a sensitive and welcoming manner, which is why she was part of the participant's network map.…”

“…(P10) According to the narratives, aspects that prevented the women from talking about their situation include: shame and fear of people judging them. Hence, these factors end up contributing to the women's social isolation, making them take distance from the people in their network and hampering the request for and/or receipt of help in this kind of situation (Dutra et al, 2013).…”

“…Among the reasons that resulted in the participants' isolation from their relational network, the family's discredit of the violence situation stands out, based on three main reasons: (a) because the person who committed the violence shows to be a good and calm person in front of the relatives, (b) because the women did not tell other people details of what happened in the relationship out of "fear or shame", and (c) because some relatives mentioned that fights between intimate partners were "normal" and that these should be solved between them. In that sense, Dutra et al (2013) appoint that the women's distancing from the people their partner considers unwanted, the death threats and retaliations, and the shame of remaining in a violent relation are aspects of the women's social isolation. In line with this information, other participants in this study report that they did not talk about their violence situation to friends and relatives because the partners did not allow them to have contact with other people, which caused distancing from the family and friendship network.…”