Chapter 12: Coping with Sexual Violence: Strategies Used by Mothers of Abused Girls

Violence is currently viewed as one of the main causes of morbimortality in Brazil, especially in the young population. It affects children, adolescents, men, and women from different ethnic groups, social classes, cultures, or religions (Melione & Jorge, 2008). Violence, being a social phenomenon, reveals dominating structures related to class, groups, individuals, ethnic groups, age, and gender (Minayo & Souza, 1998). It is present in different ways with evident peculiarities (Ristum & Bastos, 2004). This chapter focuses on sexual violence, which is predominantly characterized as a type of violence related to gender issues, since women (girls, young, and adult women) are its primary victims. It is estimated that sexual violence affects 15–25% of the female population (Leserman, 2005).