INTRAFAMILY VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AGENTS

• Main Authors: Elisama Nascimento Rocha, Alba Benemérita Alves Vilela, Vanda Palmarella Rodrigues, Vilara Mª Mesquita Mendes Pires
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia 2010-07-01
• Series: Revista Saúde.com
• Subjects: domestic violence; child; adolescent; family health
• Online Access: http://www.uesb.br/revista/rsc/ojs/index.php/rsc/article/view/129/159
• ISSN: 1809-0761; 1809-0761

The intrafamily violence against children and adolescents constitutes a public health problem and can present itself in various forms. The professionals who compose the family health team, among them the community health agent (ACS), are in a strategic position to identify risks and potential victims of family violence against children and adolescents. This study has as objective: identify the understanding of ACS about domestic violence against children and adolescents. Descriptive study, with a qualitative nature, which had as scenario two Family Health Units in the city of Jequié/BA, and as subjects nine ACS of these units. Data were analyzed according to content analysis. From empirical data Violência intrafamiliar contra crianças e adolescentes emerged three categories: understanding of intrafamily violence, understanding of intrafamily violence against children and adolescents and types of intrafamily violence against children and adolescents. The results revealed that the ACS have a broad understanding in violence, which enable them to identify cases more easily. In this context, we emphasize that effective coping of violence against children and adolescents can only be done ifsociety gather multiple efforts, congregating areas and creating attention networks, especially at the local level.