Sexual Violence against Adolescents in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil: An Analysis of Reported Cases

Mayara Alves Luis, Franciéle Marabotti Costa Leite (), Nicole Letourneau, Nátaly Adriana Jiménez Monroy, Luciana Graziela de Godoi and Luís Carlos Lopes-Júnior ()
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Mayara Alves Luis: Graduate Program in Public Health, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitoria 29047-105, Brazil
Franciéle Marabotti Costa Leite: Graduate Program in Public Health, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitoria 29047-105, Brazil
Nicole Letourneau: Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4V8, Canada
Nátaly Adriana Jiménez Monroy: Nursing Department, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitoria 29075-910, Brazil
Luciana Graziela de Godoi: Nursing Department, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitoria 29075-910, Brazil
Luís Carlos Lopes-Júnior: Graduate Program in Public Health, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitoria 29047-105, Brazil

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-13

Abstract: Objective: We describe the prevalence of the reported cases of sexual violence against adolescents and analyze their associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study ( n = 561) was conducted with reported data on sexual violence against adolescents in the state of Espírito Santo registered in SINAN between 2011 and 2018 to understand the prevalence and predictors of sexual violence against adolescent victims, as well as to describe the perpetrators and the nature of the aggression. Variables to characterize the victim, aggression, and perpetrator were used. Bivariate analyses were performed using chi-square (χ 2 ) and Fisher’s exact tests, and multivariate analyses were conducted using log-binomial models; the results were presented with prevalence ratios. All analyses were stratified by sex. Results: The prevalence of sexual violence was 32.6%, and 93% of the victims were female. In both males and females, the reported sexual violence was associated with a younger age (10–12 years old), living at home, being related to the perpetrator, and a history of sexual violence. In females, the reported sexual violence was also associated with the number of perpetrators, and in males, with the perpetrator’s age. Conclusions: Our findings show the high frequency of reporting of sexual violence and the characteristics of the victim, the aggression, and the aggressor as factors associated with its occurrence in both sexes. The importance of health information systems for disseminating data and the need for measures to prevent and treat the violence among adolescents is urgent.

Keywords: domestic violence; adolescents; sexual violence; health information systems; epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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