Confronting situations of violence against children and adolescents from the perspective of Guardianship Counselors

This study examines how Guardianship Counselors in Brazil understand their role in responding to violence against children and adolescents. Researchers conducted focus groups with 18 counselors in Rio Grande do Sul to identify what helps and what hinders their work. The study found that reporting mechanisms, inter-agency coordination, and media attention are helpful, but naturalization of violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, weak networks, lack of training, and weak prevention efforts are major obstacles. The counselors need better training and stronger support from health, education, police, and social services.

Key points

• Potentialities for combating violence include formal denunciations, networking between agencies, and media coverage
• Major limits include societal normalization of violence, COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, and breakdown of intersectoral coordination
• Guardianship Counselors report lack of adequate training to handle violence cases
• Preventive actions are difficult to develop within current systems
• Multi-sectoral support from health, education, public safety, and social assistance is essential but currently lacking

Limitations

This qualitative study captures the perspectives of counselors but does not measure actual outcomes or effectiveness of violence prevention efforts. The findings are from a specific region of Brazil and may not be generalizable to other contexts.