Violência familiar na infância: fator de risco para envolvimento em violência juvenil?

Abstract

Violence against children is a public health problem throughout the world because of its magnitude and serious consequences. Previous studies have suggested that adolescents who are victims of childhood violence are more likely to be involved in situations of violence during adolescence and youth (juvenile violence - JV). Despite the growing literature on the subject, there are still few studies that investigate whether the level of community violence to which adolescents are exposed throughout their lives influences the relationships between violence in childhood and youth violence. This research intends to explore that theme. The main objective of this dissertation was to investigate the joint effect of violence in childhood and community violence for the involvement of adolescents in JV. This is a school-based cross-sectional study (n = 720) conducted in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The selection of participants was performed through complex sampling, stratified by type of school management and shift. In total 12 schools from that region were included. Data collection was performed from September 2016 to February 2017. The information was collected through a multidimensional self-filling questionnaire. Family violence in childhood was identified using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Involvement in JV was measured through items that addressed the involvement of adolescents with friends who have committed acts of violence. The exposure to community violence was assessed at the individual level and for this the teenager was asked if he saw the body of someone murdered. In order to estimate the adjusted effects of different childhood violence in the presence and absence of community violence, multivariate logistic models were developed. The data analysis was performed in program R version 3.3.3, using the Survey package. Among the results found the high magnitudes of co-occurrence of family violence and community violence stand out. Emotional abuse in childhood was the family violence that most increased the chance of individual involvement in JV, both in the absence of community violence (OR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.79-6.12) and in the presence of (OR = 5.66, 95% CI: 3.4-9.2). Sexual violence also increased the chance of being involved in violence both when associated with community violence (OR = 4.76, 95% CI: 1.46-15.46), and alone (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1, 17-4, 49). Physical violence against children was only a risk factor for JV involvement when associated with the experience of community-based violence throughout life (OR = 3.92, 95% CI: 2.31-6.65). Both the emotional neglect (OR = 1.54 95% CI: 1.01-2.34) and physical neglect (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.32-4.46) were risk factors for involvement in JV. These findings highlight the relevance of different manifestations of violence and the need to incorporate policies to prevent and combat childhood violence to reduce JV in areas with high levels of community violence.