Violência contra adolescentes no Brasil

Abstract

Violence is a serious public health problem, which occurs recurrently among individuals of all age groups. However, adolescents (10 to 19 years old) constitute a large contingent of vulnerability and protagonism to different types of violence, especially as they are part of a complex process of biopsychosocial formation. This study aims to analyze differences between violence against adolescent boys and girls in Brazil. This is an analytical cross-sectional research, with data on interpersonal and self-inflicted violence from the 2019 Disease Information and Notification System in Brazil. Descriptive and Poisson regression analysis was performed to estimate the Prevalence Ratio with a 5% significance level. The dependent variable ‘sex of the victim’ was analyzed with types of violence, links with aggressors and agents of aggression. The study identified 103,728 reports of violence against adolescents. The majority were female (72.1%), between 15 and 19 years old (61.6%) and with male aggressors (51.4%), without suspicion of alcohol use (79.6%) and perpetrated by teenagers (59.9%). Among female victims, physical violence had a lower prevalence (RP=0.973); as well as child labor (RP=0.816) and neglect/abandonment (RP= 0.941), p<0.05. However, girls had a higher prevalence of psychological violence (RP=1.083), sexual violence (RP= 1.292) and self inflicted violence (RP=1.168), p<0.05. Adolescent aggressors, mothers and stepmothers had a lower prevalence of violence against girls, who reported more reports of violence perpetrated by spouses (RP=1.422), boyfriends (RP=1.499), among others such as fathers/stepfathers and ex-partners (p< 0.05). Poisoning/intoxication (RP=1.086) and threat (RP=1.131) stand out as agents of violence against girls; and physical force/beating, use of objects and firearms in violence against boys (p < 0.05). This study found that there are differences between boys and girls regarding the type of violence, aggressor and agents of aggression. For girls, sexual violence, paternal aggressors and (ex)partners, and violence by threat stand out. It is expected that the results presented can contribute to prevention and control programs for violence against adolescents in Brazil, considering the particularities between girls and boys victims. Therefore, in addition to scientific products, it is noteworthy that relevant technical products were created to apply the knowledge produced, such as lectures, qualification courses and Quiz, with the aim of achieving improvements in the provision of primary health care.