Caring for domestic violence victims: social representation of health professionals

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Camila Daiane
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Mota, Marina Soares, Acosta, Daniele Ferreira, Ribeiro, Juliane Portella
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Baiana de Saúde Pública (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://rbsp.sesab.ba.gov.br/index.php/rbsp/article/view/2796
• topic: Violência contra a mulher; Violência doméstica; Enfermagem; violência contra a mulher; técnicos de enfermagem; agentes comunitários de saúde; Violencia contra la mujer; Violencia doméstica; Enfermería; Violence against woman; Domestic violence; Nursing

This study presents the social representation of two nursing technicians and community agents regarding domestic violence, identifying their implications in caring for these victims. To this end, descriptive and qualitative analyses were carried out based on Social Representation Theory. Data were collected by means of interviews with 39 health professionals working in ten Family Health Units, and interpreted using Bardin’s Content Analysis. It identified that professional represented domestic violence as a crime that must be punished. Such is a structured representation, as it contains concept, image, and attitude. When caring for victims of domestic abuse, this representation implies offering information on women’s rights, reporting the incident to the police, and offering a support network. In conclusion, professionals confuse their ethical commitment to compulsory notification with police reporting, which can be made by the victim, family or colleagues. Consequently, this leads to underreporting and hinders understanding the dimension of this issue on a national scope.