Peer-reviewed article
Relationship between Physical Violence against Children and Youth and the Psychosocial Development of Victims
Eugênia Martins Gerolomo, Andressa Borges da Silva, Amanda Morelli Araújo, Beatriz da Rocha Pires, Gabriella Maria Viana Marques et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This integrative review examined physical violence against children and adolescents in Brazil using data from the national disease notification system. Between 2016 and 2021, over 56,000 cases of physical violence against children were reported, with girls aged 10-14 most frequently affected and mothers often the perpetrators. Prolonged exposure to physical violence in the home led to negative emotional development, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and aggressive behaviour in victims.
Key points
- 56,961 cases of physical violence against children and adolescents reported in Brazil from 2016-2021
- Main victims were females aged 10-14 years, with mothers frequently identified as perpetrators
- Black and minority populations showed higher susceptibility to developing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms
- Prolonged domestic physical aggression resulted in negative emotional development
- Traumatic experiences linked to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties and aggressive behaviour
Limitations
This is a review of published studies rather than original data collection, and significant underreporting of violence cases in Brazil means the true prevalence is likely much higher. The review excluded studies that examined multiple forms of child violence together, which may limit understanding of how physical violence intersects with other abuse types.
Abstract
The presence of physical violence and marginalization at different historical and socio-economic moments in Brazil has led to the normalization and socio-cultural acceptance of acts of physical punishment as a mechanism for controlling, disciplining and educating children.The article aims to analyze the profile of victims of physical violence against children and adolescents in Brazil, in addition to understanding the consequences for psychosocial development and possible long-term outcomes.Integrative review with analysis of data from SINAN (Information System for Notifiable Diseases).The DeCS descriptors "child maltreatment" and "aggression" and "child" were used in the Scielo, BVS, LILACS and CAPES periodicals databases.We included full-text studies published in the last five years in Portuguese.We excluded those that addressed other forms of child violence together.From 2016 to 2021, the following were reported 117,585 cases of violence against children and adolescents in Brazil, 56,961 of them physical violence.The main victims were females aged between 10 and 14, and the mother was the aggressor in many cases.Minority populations, such as the black population, were more susceptible to developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.Prolonged exposure to physical aggression in the domestic environment resulted in negative effects on the emotional development of the victims.Despite underreporting in the country, more developed areas, but with greater social inequality, such as the Southeast and South, had a higher number of reported cases.These traumatic experiences can lead to problems such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties and aggressive behavior.Keywords: "Child abuse"