Driving and restraining forces in a Specialized Care Service for People Experiencing Sexual Violence

Abstract

Sexual abuse is growing exponentially in both the number and complexity of cases, constituting a serious global public health problem. Specialized care units represent an important tool for welcoming and assisting people in situations of violence. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and describe the forces that drive and constrain work processes in a Specialized Care Service for People in Situations of Sexual Violence (SAVIS), based on the Force Field Theory. This is a qualitative research study, approved by an Ethics Committee (CAAE 72696123.5.0000.5519), in which healthcare professionals were interviewed and the transcribed data were subjected to Content Analysis. The results show that the work of SAVIS is influenced by numerous factors, some intrinsic to the unit itself and others reflecting the organization of the other services that make up the network. Negative forces such as prejudice, misogyny, sexism, violence as a tolerated phenomenon, and weaknesses in the network indicate the need for public policies to address sexual abuse to be implemented, with financial and human investment in actions that contribute to the prevention and management of cases, with a focused direction on welcoming people in situations of violence and training network professionals. KEYWORDS Violence. Violence against women. Sex offenses. Health services.