Family Dynamics of Boys Victims of Sexual Abuse

Abstract

The family represents a privileged place for the detection of signs and symptoms of violence against children and adolescents, especially against boys, phenomenon underreported. The purpose of this paper was to broaden the understanding about issues related to family dynamics in sexual violence against boys by the use of qualitative method; in order to do so, it was made a documentary research of three cases of boys attended at a health service. Three main axes were highlighted in this article: the importance of family in the disclosure of sexual abuse, stigmas and prejudices, and the proximity of the offenders to the boys. It was observed that family dynamics actively influenced the abusive processes because of its possibility to favor protective or unprotected settings and also for the presence of issues such as transgenerationality and confusion in the family role plays. Thus, it is essential that interventions are also directed to the families, so that they are instructed to better protect the boys.