Impactos psicossocias em crianças e adolescentes vítimas de violência sexual

Abstract

Objective: To identify in scientific production the psychosocial impacts on children and adolescents who have been victims of sexual violence. Methods: This is an integrative literature review. The studies were searched from March to April 2022. The studies included were those published between 2011 and 2021, indexed in the databases, available free of charge in full and which answered the guiding question. Duplicate studies, review studies, dissertations, theses, course completion papers and conference proceedings were excluded. Results: The sample comprised 12 studies, which showed that the psychosocial impacts depend on the level of abuse suffered, the length of exposure and who the abuser was. Victims can present hypersexualized behavior, relationship difficulties as adults, psychosis and stress-related syndromes, very early and early introduction to sex, use of alcohol and illicit drugs, risky sexual behavior, high probability of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections and teenage pregnancy, recurrence of violence in adulthood, both as a victim and as an abuser. Final considerations: The psychosocial impacts of sexual violence on children and adolescents are diverse and can perpetuate into adulthood, having repercussions in various areas of the individual's social life.