Social network and social support to the families involved in violence against children and adolescents in Brazil: Routes to care

Familiar violence against children and adolescents (FVACA) is still a great challenge to the health sector and to the other sectors of protection to these actors. Social, emotional, psychological and cultural factors, as well... [ view full abstract ]

Familiar violence against children and adolescents (FVACA) is still a great challenge to the health sector and to the other sectors of protection to these actors. Social, emotional, psychological and cultural factors, as well as the lack of knowledge of the users and professionals of these sectors, hamper recognizing and following the violent events. In this sense, the concept of social networks has been arisen as a possible novel manner to understand certain problems and cope with them, and to look to the health-disease process as something complex, not only as a product of the biological system. The main objective of this study was to contribute to improve the comprehension on the social network and social support to the families involved in FVACA, in a municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. Data collection in this study with a qualitative approach were performed by documental search, semi-structured interviews, and minimum maps of relationships of the personal social networks of 15 families, followed up by a Non-Governamental Organization (NGO) to care to FVACA. The collected data were analyzed on the basis of the complexity paradigm; such analysis were guided by the comprehension and contextualization of the data. The results showed reduced and homogeneous networks, with low density. Social support is usually done through informal ways, in the emotional and instrumental type. The NGO was presented as an important social support in these areas. The families showed reduced empowerment to seek resources, while they were remaining passive in adverse life situations. This research concluded the need to build more effective projects of intervention with these actors, as well as to promote the individual and community empowerment.