CHILD SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN JUDICIAL SENTENCES

• Grant number: 22/15756-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2023
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Sabrina Mazo D'Affonseca
• Grantee: Nathalia Helena de Araújo
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The sexual violence against children is featured by any sexual act committed by one or more adults against children and adolescents, leading to sexual stimulation of both victim and aggressor. It is a complex phenomenon that brings several consequences to the victims, such as physical injuries, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), unintended pregnancy, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, among others problems. Considering the severity of sexual child abuse, the judiciary is indispensable to protect the victims and punish the perpetrators. Nevertheless, some research indicates many problems in this instance which have prevented the adequate conduct of judicial proceedings making them time-consuming and resulting in costly effects on victims. Thus, the present study seeks to analyze and identify the main aspects of a judicial sentence sample involving child sexual abuse in São Paulo state. The 5 shortest and longest lawsuits will be selected. Their main characteristics will be categorized (type of violence, sex of victim and perpetrator, etc) and their data will be computed in terms of the frequency counts, rate, standard deviation and the minimum and maximum values. We will seek to identify the main characteristics of the case with the result of the sentence and the period of time of the process, seeking to make inferences related to the research problem based on the literature of the area.