[The (in)visibility of psychological family violence in childhood and adolescence]

A National Study on Psychological Violence in Brazil: Differences by Sex and Skin Color

Violence is a global public health problem that affects especially the most vulnerable people. The aim was to analyze the prevalence of psychological violence in the Brazilian population and inequalities according to sex and skin color. This was a cross-sectional study in which the database of the National Health Survey 2019 was used. Psychological violence was considered present when an individual answered yes to at least one of the five variables investigated: In the last 12 months, has anyone (a) offended you, humiliated you, or ridiculed you in front of other people?; (b) yelled at you or called you names?; (c) used social media or cell phones to threaten, offend, curse, or expose your images without your consent?; (d) threatened to hurt you or hurt someone important to you?; and (e) destroyed something of yours on purpose? The independent variable was skin color. The crude prevalence ratio (PR) was determined by Poisson regression. All analyses were stratified by sex. Of the 88,531 respondents, 41,662 were males and 46,869 were females. The prevalence of the presence of psychological violence was 19% in women and 15.6% in men. Men and women with black/brown/yellow/indigenous skin color were 20% and 15% more likely to suffer one or more items of psychological violence, respectively, than men and women with white skin color (PR = 1.20; 95% CI [1.11, 1.30] and PR = 1.15; 95% CI [1.08, 1.23]). Psychological violence occurred predominantly against females and individuals with black/brown/yellow/indigenous skin color. There were notable inequalities in the exposure to this type of violence that need to be considered when making plans to address this problem. The findings emphasize the relevance of constantly reviewing political and social constructions to promote a reduction of inequalities.

A cross-sectional study of the association between exposure to violence, intelligence, and executive function in Brazilian youths

We carried out an exploratory study of the association between exposure to violence, intelligence, and executive functions in Brazilian preadolescents. The study included 56 participants (31 males) aged 8 to 14 years old (mean = 11.3, SD = 1.0). We administered neuropsychological tests to evaluate executive functions and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) to evaluate exposure to violence. We used the following neuropsychological instruments: Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Stroop Color-Word Interference task, digits subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, and an N-back task. We generated a composite score from neuropsychological test scores and investigated the association of that score, and individual test scores, with exposure to violence and socioeconomic status (SES). Results suggest, first, that exposure to violence is associated with a 0.5-point lower intelligence quotient score for every reported victimization event in the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Results also show that the digits backward subtest scores showed a significant negative correlation with exposure to violence (JVQ; rho = -0.29, p < 0.05); both analyses were adjusted for the level of schooling of parents or guardians, which was also found to be significantly associated with lower intelligence quotient scores. We discuss results in the light of the existing literature on the effects of exposure to violence on adolescent development, and the amounting evidence that suggests an association of exposure to violence, and of victimization, with tests that evaluate constructs of executive functions. The study struggled with low compliance from participants, and we underscore the challenges of carrying out empirical studies aimed at better understanding the development of underrepresented youths, such as those from Central and Latin America.

Violência emocional intrafamiliar contra crianças e adolescentes e suas repercussões

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as repercussões na infância, na adolescência e na vida adulta da violência emocional intrafamiliar vivenciada no período infanto-juvenil em artigos publicados entre 2009 e 2019, por meio de uma revisão sistemática de literatura. Para a organização dos dados, utilizou-se o software Zotero; para a sistematização e análises, o software SPSS (versão 2.3). Na infância e na adolescência, as principais repercussões foram sintomas internalizantes (ex.: ansiedade, depressão, problemas psicossomáticos, insegurança), problemas cognitivo-comportamentais e impactos no rendimento escolar. Na idade adulta, as principais repercussões foram sintomas externalizantes (ex.: agressividade, reprodução da violência) e sintomas internalizantes. Conclui-se que a violência emocional vivenciada na infância e na adolescência é transcultural, transgeracional e um fator de risco para o desenvolvimento, podendo ocasionar prejuízos cognitivo-comportamentais e interferir nos relacionamentos interpessoais ao longo do ciclo de vida. Tornar visível este tipo de violência contribui para enfrentamento e minimização dos efeitos negativos da violência.

Family Aggression Screening Tool (FAST): Factor structure and psychometric properties of subscales

BACKGROUND

The Family Aggression Screening Tool (FAST) is an instrument to screen for experiences of maltreatment using primarily pictorial representations, including direct victimisation and exposure to intimate partner violence. The initial psychometric properties of the FAST were reported in the original research in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to replicate and to extend the evaluation of the psychometric properties of FAST in Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data consisted of 648 youth aged 11 to 17 years from public schools in Brazil.

METHOD

We employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and exploratory graphical analysis (EGA). Concurrent validity was supported by strong correlations between the FAST's emotional and physical victimisation subscales and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) emotional and physical abuse subscales.

RESULTS

CFA resulted in a solution including second and first order factors, resembling the original structure. FAST's reliability was assessed both through internal consistency and test-retest, showing favorable coefficients.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that FAST has good psychometric properties for the Brazilian population with respect to both its validity and reliability.

A Violência Mora ao Lado? Violência Familiar e Comunitária entre Adolescentes

Resumo Para descrever a ocorrência de situações de violência contra adolescentes na família e na comunidade, foi conduzido estudo transversal em escolas públicas de municípios do Brasil. O Questionário da Juventude Brasileira Versão Fase II foi utilizado. Participaram 2.860 adolescentes, sendo 58,5% do sexo feminino. Cerca de um terço dos participantes sofreram violência física na família. Na comunidade, 32,7% dos adolescentes reportaram ter sofrido situações de violência psicológica. Situações de violência física ocorreram mais entre meninos, em participantes de 15 a 19 anos e nos que experimentaram álcool ou drogas ilícitas. Considera-se como importante que ações preventivas contra violência de naturezas distintas sejam contínuas e abrangentes, incluam diferentes subgrupos e garantam o suporte necessário.

[Association between psychological violence and posttraumatic stress disorder in a cohort of Brazilian adolescents]

The study analyzed the impact of psychological violence on the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This was a cross-sectional study nested in a cohort in which the second follow-up was conducted in 2016. A questionnaire was applied to 2,486 adolescents and approached individual, family, and social aspects and experience with psychological violence. Propensity score was used to create inverse probability weighting (IPW). Thus, a probability was assigned to each adolescent, where 1/IPW represent those in the exposed group and 1/(1-IPW) those in the unexposed group. This procedure made the two groups more homogeneous and mutually comparable. The association between the occurrence of psychological violence and PTSD was estimated by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) via crude binary logistic regression and adjusted logistic regression (weighted by IPW). According to the results, 30.3% reported having suffered severe violence. Prevalence of PTSD was 4.8% among exposed and 1.5% in unexposed to psychological violence. An association was observed between severe violence and PTSD in the two analyses, but the magnitude in the model structured by the propensity score (OR = 1.97; 95%CI: 1.08-3.56) indicated an adjustment to the measure from the crude analysis (OR = 3.40; 95%CI: 2.03-5.69). The current study contributes to the scarce literature on exposure to psychological violence and its association with the development of PTSD, confirming the negative impact of this form of abuse on the individual´s mental health.

Violência sexual infantojuvenil: contribuições e responsabilidades dos profissionais de psicologia

Objetivou-se conhecer e analisar a compreensão de psicólogas(os) acerca dos limites, desafios e contribuições da área da Psicologia na atuação com a violência sexual infantojuvenil. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter exploratório, descritiva e analítica, realizada por meio de entrevistas com nove participantes de três áreas distintas (saúde; assistência social; poder judiciário). Acolher e escutar constituem-se em importantes contribuições da Psicologia, área esta que pode colaborar com o tema de diversas maneiras, sobretudo no que tange a promoção da saúde e do cuidado. Todavia, imersos num cotidiano cuja violência sexual é denunciada corriqueiramente, os profissionais desta área por vezes não dão a devida relevância a prevenção deste fenômeno. Isso desvela a importância de se promover mecanismos voltados a interligar a rede de proteção, indo além da atenção especializada e do poder judiciário, incluindo uma atenção mais acurada à atenção básica e à educação escolar.

A FAMÍLIA E OS PAPEIS DE GÊNERO NA ADOLESCÊNCIA

Resumo Os papeis femininos e masculinos na sociedade brasileira passaram a ser questionados e modificados, afetando a família e revelando problemáticas que demandam atenção, apesar da suposta igualdade entre os sexos alcançados na sociedade contemporânea. O estudo é de abordagem qualitativa, utilizou-se entrevistas e a análise temática de conteúdo. Participaram adolescentes entre 14 e 16 anos. Foi possível observar que as interações e socialização ocorrida dentro do âmbito familiar ainda funciona como mecanismo de imposição e reforço de papeis “naturalizados” como femininos e masculinos, contribuindo para a persistência das condições sociais de desigualdade. Diante desse contexto, recomenda-se práticas de educação continuada nas escolas, sociedades e através de políticas públicas voltadas para facilitar o processo de ressignificação dos papeis de gênero na atualidade.

The intertwined effect of lack of emotional warmth and child abuse and neglect on common mental disorders in adolescence

Adolescence is a vulnerable period for mental health problems. Although child abuse and neglect (CAN) are known risk factors for some of them, it is not clear if the negative consequences on mental health also occur in families where CAN and a warm parent-child relationship coexist. The aim of this study is to explore this gap and investigate the effects of different types of CAN according to levels of warmth in the parent-child relationship on common mental disorders (CMD) in adolescence. This is a cross-sectional study encompassing 487 adolescents attending the ninth grade at 2 public and 4 private schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. CAN was measured by the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), CMD by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the level of warmth in the parent-child relationship were recalled using short Egna Minnen Betraffände Uppfostran (s-EMBU-23). The adjusted separate effects of different types of CAN and a low level of warmth in the parent-child relationship, and both in tandem, were estimated using multivariate linear regression models. Results indicated that emotional abuse and neglect, physical abuse and neglect, and a low level of warmth in the parent-child relationship are important risk factors for CMD in adolescence. Nevertheless, in families where CAN coexist with a warm and affectionate parent-child relationship, the negative effects of CAN on mental health are attenuated. Evidence indicates that actions to prevent or interrupt CAN and improving parental practices could be effective strategies to reduce CMD in adolescence.

[Adolescent dating in Brazil: the circularity of psychological violence in different relationship contexts]

The scope of this paper is to evaluate the perpetration of psychological violence in current male and female dating relationships and their link to psychological violence experienced in other contexts of their lives, namely family, relationships with friends and dating partners. 3,205 students in the 2nd year of high school (15 to 19 years old) in public and private schools in ten Brazilian cities filled out a closed and self-administered questionnaire. The results highlight the fact that the increase in the number of psychologically violent events perpetrated by adolescents in their intimate relationships is related to greater verbal aggression of the mother and father, and the more frequent experiences of psychological violence between parents, siblings, friends and that existing in earlier dating relationships. This reinforces the notion of circularity of psychological violence in various contexts of socialization of adolescents and highlights the continuity of aggressive behavior in other dating relationships, and those between siblings, family and friends.

Violence in the view of young people in the perspective of corporeality and vulnerability

The aim was to understand how violence is understood by the young, in their experience, in the perspective of corporeality and vulnerability. Qualitative research was undertaken with 21 young people, students of nursing at a university in the West of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The information was produced based on a genogram and ecomap, and on the dynamics of creativity and sensitivity, these being interpreted in the light of Hermeneutics. The young understand violence as an absence of happiness, as something which harms their integrity; by violence, they understand the negligence existing in the relationship between parents and children and in the conflictual relationships experienced in the family. The study raised important elements for understanding the violence from the viewpoint of the young person, revealing the need to outline actions of nursing care which reduce the situations of vulnerability to this phenomenon which interferes in their way of being in the world.

Violência psicológica e contexto familiar de adolescentes usuários de serviços ambulatoriais em um hospital pediátrico público terciário

Buscou-se investigar a associação da violência psicológica (VP) na adolescência com fatores sociodemográficos, estrutura/relacionamento familiar e com outras formas de maus-tratos. Aplicou-se em 229 adolescentes (11-18 anos) um questionário, em serviços ambulatoriais de um hospital pediátrico público terciário. Encontrou-se que 26,4% dos entrevistados sofrem VP severa no contexto familiar, sendo que apenas cinco relataram não sofrer qualquer tipo de VP familiar, sugerindo que essa violência é considerada como uma forma corriqueira de relacionamento familiar. Comportamentos de VP familiares mais relatados: ser criticado pelo que faz ou diz, não ser encorajado quando tenta atuar de forma autônoma, ser chamado por nomes desagradáveis e ter adulto dizendo que está errado ao tentar agir. Insatisfação dos responsáveis com o adolescente, a estrutura familiar nuclear, a posição da criança entre os irmãos e o compartilhamento dos mesmos pais pelos irmãos mostraram-se associados à VP que ocorre no contexto familiar. O setor saúde, capacitando-se para detectar os sinais de VP, pode promover o direito à saúde integral de adolescentes, confirmando ser um dos principais setores sociais capazes de atuar preventivamente sobre as formas de violência sofridas e praticadas pelo grupo familiar.

Exposição à violência em adolescentes de diferentes contextos: família e instituições

Este estudo investigou a frequência da exposição à violência intrafamiliar e extrafamiliar, em 946 adolescentes com idades entre 12 e 19 anos (M = 15,42; DP = 1,67), que viviam em diferentes contextos: com as famílias (G1), em instituições para cumprimento de medidas socioeducativas (G2) e em instituições de acolhimento (G3). Foi utilizado o Questionário da Juventude Brasileira. Foi observado que os adolescentes de G3 apresentaram maior frequência de exposição à violência intrafamiliar, enquanto os adolescentes de G2 à violência extrafamiliar, sendo as meninas as vítimas mais frequentes em todos os contextos. A importância de prevenir a exposição dos jovens à violência é destacada, bem como a necessidade de promover intervenções com os adolescentes em acolhimento institucional, já que este grupo mostrou-se o mais vulnerável.