Rede de apoio social e afetiva de mulheres que vivenciaram violência conjugal

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a public health issue due to the physical, emotional, and social damages caused on the people involved. The network of social and affective support may be a resource for coping with this situation, although it is still poorly investigated. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the perception of women who have experienced intimate partner violence about their personal social network, as well as the functions developed by this network. The study was conducted with five women who were separated from their aggressors for at least six months. Data collection was carried out through sociodemographic questionnaire and semi-structured interview. The Thematic Analysis revealed ambiguity regarding effectiveness of personal social network in copying with violence. Personal social network was considered effective when the participants felt supported and received some form of help from its members to break the cycle of violence. The ineffectiveness of the network was recognized in circumstances in which people demonstrate critical or indifferent behavior towards the victim's suffering. In addition to not providing assistance, sometimes, the network negatively impacted on the woman's attempts to leave the abusive relationship. Therefore, it is understood that the relations between women and their personal social networks are complex and that the social network can either facilitate or hinder the confrontation of violence. Keywords: social networks; social support; conjugal violence.