Mulheres Autoras de Violência: Caracterização dos Casos de Violência Sexual contra Crianças e Adolescentes Notificados entre 2018 e 2022

Abstract

Sexual violence against children and adolescents is a serious social and public health problem, potentially causing various emotional and cognitive consequences. In the last decades of the 21st century, understanding the phenomenon and its relationship with the life trajectories of those involved (victims and perpetrators) has been the subject of research. Most studies focus primarily on the victims, with less attention given to perpetrators, and the existing research predominantly addresses male perpetrators, resulting in an under- investigation of female perpetrators. This study aims to analyze and compare cases of sexual violence committed by women against children and adolescents, reported in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) between 2018 and 2022. A quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach was adopted, based on documentary data. The data were obtained from the SINAN database for the states of Amazonas, Pará, Ceará, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo, and analyzed using SPSS software. Descriptive and association analyses were conducted using statistical tests such as the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Cramér’s V, considering characteristics of the perpetrators, victims, and the contexts of violence. The variables of interest were organized into three groups: characteristics of the perpetrators (sex, life cycle, number of perpetrators, alcohol use, type of interpersonal relationship with the victim); characteristics of the victims (sex, age, race, marital status, education, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or disorder); and characteristics of the violence (state of notification, occurrence zone and time, location, repetition, types of violence, type of sexual violence, and means of aggression). For the chi- square analyses, two central variables were selected (number of perpetrators and sex of the perpetrators) and associated with the other variables. A total of 4,174 notifications of sexual violence against children and adolescents were analyzed. Descriptive results indicated that most perpetrators were adults (25–59 years), although a significant number of young and adolescent perpetrators were also recorded, with a prevalence of co-perpetration. The victims were predominantly children (0–9 years), especially Black girls. Most instances of violence occurred in the intrafamilial environment, with mothers being the predominant perpetrators. The characteristics of the perpetrators and victims revealed distinct patterns across states, indicating important regional variations regarding the number of perpetrators, the life cycle of the perpetrators, and the race of the victims. Exploratory results showed statistically significant associations between the sex of the perpetrators and the number of perpetrators with the characteristics of perpetrators, victims, and the context of the violence. A strong association was observed between the number of perpetrators and the sex of the perpetrators (χ² = 212.85; p < .001; Cramér’s V = 0.714), indicating that the presence of two or more perpetrators usually includes at least one male co-perpetrator. The perpetrators’ life cycle influenced co-perpetration patterns: adolescents and young women tend to act alone, whereas adult women more often co-offend with men, mainly in intrafamilial contexts involving fathers, stepfathers, and mothers. Alcohol use was more common in cases involving co- perpetration by both sexes. Regarding the victims, female perpetrators tended to target younger children (mean age 7.75 years), while co-perpetration involved older victims (mean age 9.29 years). Children were the main targets of solo female perpetrators, while adolescents were more likely targeted in co-perpetrated cases. Female victims predominated in all configurations. Victims’ race showed a weak association with the sex of the perpetrators, being more prevalent in cases of male co-perpetration. This study demonstrates that sexual violence committed by women against children and adolescents, although less studied, exhibits complex profiles and dynamics, marked by variations in perpetrators’ life cycles, predominant co-perpetration with men, and occurrence within intrafamilial contexts. The victims were mostly girls, particularly young children, with relevant regional nuances. These findings underscore the need to broaden investigative focus on sexual violence against children and adolescents and its perpetrators, aiming to improve public policies and prevention and protection strategies, while also contributing to the training of professionals in the child protection network.