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Fávero M, Gomes V, Campo AD, Moreira D, Sousa-Gomes V. Sexual violence perpetrated by health professionals. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1005696. [PMID: 37077508 PMCID: PMC10106571 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1005696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual violence (SV) perpetrated by health professionals concerns any sexual conduct, whether physical or verbal (with or without contact), toward a patient. There has been little scientific study and some disagreements have emerged regarding its definition, which has even been confused with violation of professional boundaries. In this descriptive-exploratory study, we aimed to characterize this phenomenon in the Portuguese context, using a sample of 491 participants who completed an online questionnaire adapted for this study. The results showed that 8.96% of the participants (5.5% indirect victims) suffered SV by a health professional, and the sociodemographic characteristics are very similar to those of SV in other contexts. Thus, after confirming this is not a problem alien to the Portuguese reality, we discuss the practical implications for prevention and intervention with victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisalva Fávero
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Maia, Maia, Portugal
- Justice and Governance Research Center of the Law School, University of Minho (JusGov/UM), Braga, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Marisalva Fávero,
| | - Vanessa Gomes
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Maia, Maia, Portugal
| | - Amaia Del Campo
- Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Diana Moreira
- Institute of Psychology and Neuropsychology of Porto – IPNP Health, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Centro de Solidariedade de Braga/Projecto Homem, Braga, Portugal
| | - Valéria Sousa-Gomes
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Maia, Maia, Portugal
- Justice and Governance Research Center of the Law School, University of Minho (JusGov/UM), Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Psychology and Neuropsychology of Porto – IPNP Health, Porto, Portugal
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