Trends in reporting of sexual violence in Brazil from 2009 to 2013

The objective was to analyze the trends in reporting of sexual violence in Brazil from 2009 to 2013, with special emphasis on rape. An observational times series study was conducted, analyzing data from 2009 to 2013 coming from a secondary database of the Brazilian National Information System for Notificable Diseases (SINAN). The independent variable was the number of reports of sexual violence from 2009 to 2013, which was compared to several sociodemographic, violence-related, and health-related variables. The data were analyzed with a Prais-Winsten generalized linear regression model, determining the variations as stable, upward, or downward by analysis of the coefficient of determination (Pearson’s R²) and level of significance set at p < 0.05. The reports of sexual violence showed greater positive variation in the 10-19-year age bracket (364%), indigenous individuals (520%), in the South of Brazil (414%), females (331%), and individuals with low schooling (343%). More than 70% of the reports were rapes, while one-third were repeat offenses, with a downward trend in reports of sexual violence accompanied by beating. The aggressors’ characteristics remained stable. The site of violence changed, with fewer cases occurring on public byways. Finally, the reporting rate for rape increased by 590%, with a similar trend in rapes in the household and an increase in case resolutions. The study reveals the sociodemographic profile of cases of sexual violence reported in Brazil and an increase in reported rapes, especially inside the household. There was also an increase in case resolution.

Keywords:
Violence Against Women; Sex Offenses; Rape; Mandatory Reporting