Violence against children and its psychological consequences during their development
Keywords:
Violence against children, psychological consequencesAbstract
According to the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA), an individual is considered a child until the age of 12, and it is the duty of the family, society and the state to ensure that children have their basic rights in life, such as education, food, leisure, health, protection and dignity. However, children's basic needs are not always respected. There are various types of ill-treatment and neglect that can damage children's physical, psychological and cognitive development (ECA, 1991).
According to data collected by UNICEF in 2019, there were 18,971 reports of sexual violence against children and adolescents in Brazil. This analysis shows the high rate of underreporting of violence and impunity for perpetrators (UNICEF, 2019).
Violence against children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is all forms of mistreatment, from emotional to physical, that result in potential or actual damage to the child's development in its entire biopsychosocial sphere, in the context of a relationship of trust, responsibility or power (World Health Organization, 1996).
According to the Ministry of Health, 2002, physical aggression against children is defined as acts of physical violence, practiced through slaps, bites, injuries, trauma, among others, in short, the use of objects with the intention of hurting or injuring the child. It is practiced by the parents or guardians of the minor (Ministry of Health, 2002).
