Perceptions of a Multidisciplinary Team on the Psychological Repercussions of Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: to understand the perceptions of a multidisciplinary health team in caring for hospitalized children and adolescents with psychological repercussions of sexual violence, in the light of Symbolic Interactionism Theory. Method: this is a qualitative study, carried out with 30 professionals from the multidisciplinary health team working in a general public hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The interviews took place between June and July 2019, using a semi-structured questionnaire and, after being recorded, the reports were transcribed. In analysis, the data were categorized by similar themes following the steps: pre-analysis, material exploration, treatment of results and interpretation. The project was approved by an Institutional Review Board. Results: among the psychological disorders presented by children and adolescents are aggressiveness, mutism, eating disorders, infantilized behavior, hypersexualized behaviors, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic episodes, and delusions. Conclusion: the study demonstrates the perceptions resulting from the interaction allowed in caring for the multidisciplinary team to children and adolescents who experienced sexual violence and developed psychological disorders. In this way, it raises warning signs for family members, health professionals, education, protective devices and the whole of society about the need to observe signs of these changes on a daily basis, seeking to investigate their possible relationship with sexual assault.

Sinais e sintomas de violência sexual infantojuvenil: relatos de profissionais de saúde

“…Estudiosos apontam que um percentual significativo de registros de infanticídio em um país africano estão relacionados com a VS, onde 52,3% das vítimas encontram-se na faixa etária entre um e 18 anos, sendo que a agressão sexual está associada a um caso em cada 10 mortes 8 . No âmbito nacional, pesquisa acerca de 23.278 casos de agressão contra mulheres registrados no SINAN, entre 2011 e 2015, constatou que, crianças (entre 0 e 9 anos) vítimas de estupro apresentam risco 159 vezes maior de serem assassinadas; para adolescentes (entre 10 e 19 anos) esta taxa é de 28,8 vezes 29 .…”