Intrafamily violence against children and adolescents from the perspective of aggressive mothers

Abstract

Intrafamily violence affects all family members; however, children/adolescents are the primary victims. This study aimed at understanding the meanings attributed by mothers who use drugs regarding the violence perpetrated against their children, based on their social-historical context. The study utilized a qualitative approach and data were collected through open interviews with ten women. Content thematic analysis was adopted, revealing that the family and sociocultural context in which these women lived during their process of socialization in their original family contributed to important dissociations in the development of maternal roles, particularly: loss of close relatives, situations of affection/disaffection, alcoholism, poverty and violence, situations which remained unchanged in their current families. It is important to emphasize the necessity of the family in the integral protection of children/adolescents, as well as in taking action against the aggressors, who also require care, in order to minimize and target this type of violence.

Descriptors: Violence; Family Relations; Child; Adolescent; Public Health Nursing.