Violence against women before and during gestation: differences in prevalence rates and perpetrators

Ribeiro, Marizélia Rodrigues Costa; Pessoa, Bianca Portela Teles; Sauaia, Galvani Ascar; Schraiber, Lilia Blima; Queiroz, Rejane Christine de Sousa; Batista, Rosângela Fernandes Lucena; Cruz, Joana Athayde da Silva; Silva, Antônio Augusto Moura da

doi:10.1590/1806-93042020000200010

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Revista Brasileira de Saúde Materno Infantil

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ORIGINAL ARTICLES • Rev. Bras. Saude Mater. Infant. 20 (2) • Apr-Jun 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-93042020000200010 copy

Violence against women before and during gestation: differences in prevalence rates and perpetrators

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Objectives:

to analyze differences in prevalence and perpetrators of violence against women before and during pregnancy.

Methods:

this is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 1,446 pregnant women interviewed in 2010 and 2011 in the São Luís municipality (Brazil). Thirteen questions measured psychological, physical and sexual violence in the 12 months before and during pregnancy. Psychological/physical/sexual violence was defined as any type of violence perpetrated against the interviewees. The perpetrators were categorized into intimate partner, other family members, community members, and multiple perpetrators. Differences between violence before and during pregnancy were analyzed by the chi-square test.

Results:

psychological/physical/sexual and psychological violence were more prevalent during pregnancy than before gestation (p<0.001). Insults, humiliation and intimidation (p<0.05) were more frequently reported during pregnancy. An intimate partner was the most frequent perpetrator. There were no differences in the percentage of moderate and severe forms of physical violence and sexual violence, recurrence of aggressions and perpetrators in both periods (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

gestation did not protect users of prenatal services in São Luís municipality from psychological, physical and sexual violence. Psychological/physical/sexual and psychological violence were more commonly practiced during pregnancy. The perpetrators of violence in the year before gestation continued to abuse the interviewees during pregnancy

Key words:
Gender-based violence; Intimate partner violence; Pregnancy; Violence against women

Pregnant women characteristics	N	%
Age (years) (n=1,446)
Up to 19	178	12.3
20 to 24	476	32.9
25 or more	792	54.8
Marital status (n=1,446)
Married	329	22.7
Consensual union	831	57.5
Single/widowed	263	18.2
Divorced/separated	23	1.6
Head of the family^a a Missing values were excluded. (n=1,442)
Pregnant woman	156	10.8
Intimate partner	846	58.7
Others	440	30.5
Schooling (years)^a a Missing values were excluded. (n=1,445)
0 to 4	21	1.5
5 to 8	162	11.2
9 to 11	1,090	75.4
12 or more	172	11.9
Economic class "Brasil"^a a Missing values were excluded. criterion (n=1,379)
D/E	225	16.3
C	933	67.7
A/B	221	16.0

Variables	Violence before gestation		Violence during gestation		p
Variables	n	%	n	%	p
Psychological/physical/sexual violence					<0.001
No	892	61.7	726	50.3
Yes	554	38.3	716	49.7
Psychological violence					<0.001
No	920	63.6	746	51.6
Yes	526	36.4	700	48.4
V1) "Insult you or made you feel bad about yourself?"					<0.001
No	1,034	71.5	895	61.9
Yes	412	28.5	551	38.1
V2) "Depreciate or humiliate you in front of other people?"					0.010
No	1,180	81.6	1,129	78.1
Yes	266	18.4	317	21.9
V3) "Do things to scare you or frighten you on?"					<0.001
No	1,222	84.5	1,123	77.7
Yes	224	15.5	323	22.3
V4) "Threaten to hurt you or someone you care about?"					0.054
No	1,302	90.1	1,274	88.1
Yes	144	9.9	172	11.9
Recurrent psychological violence					0.436
1 episode	146	10.1	184	12.7
Recurrent	380	26.3	516	35.7
Total	526	36.4	700	48.4
Psychological violence initiated during gestation			247	35.3^a a Percentage calculated from the total of women who suffered psychological violence.

Variables	Violence before gestation		Violence during gestation		p
Variables	n	%	n	%	p
Physical violence					0.337
No	1,275	88.2	1,264	88.6
Yes	171	11.8	179	12.4
V5) "Slap you or throw something at you that could hurt you?"^a a Moderate physical violence;					0.439
No	1,353	93.6	1,356	93.8
Yes	93	6.4	90	6.2
V6) "Push you or give you a shake?"^a a Moderate physical violence;					0.076
No	1,351	93.4	1,329	92.0
Yes	95	6.6	116	8.0
V7) "Punch you or hurt youwith any object?"^a a Moderate physical violence;					0.543
No	1,404	97.1	1,403	97.1
Yes	42	2.9	42	2.9
V8) "Kick you, drag you or beat you?"^b b Severe physical violence;					0.404
No	1,410	97.5	1,413	97.7
Yes	36	2.5	33	2.3
V9) "Attempt to strangle or burn you on purpose?"^b b Severe physical violence;					0.153
No	1,431	99.0	1,437	99.4
Yes	15	1.0	9	0.6
V10) "Threaten to use or actually used a firearm, knife or other weapon against you?"^b b Severe physical violence;					0.338
No	1,418	98.1	1,421	9.3
Yes	28	1.9	24	1.7
Total	1,446		1,445
Recurrent physical violence					0.512
1 episode	89	6.1	96	6.6
Recurrent	82	5.6	83	5.7
Total	171	1.7	171	1.3
Physical violence initiated during gestation			84	46.9^c c Percentage calculated from the total of women who suffered physical violence.

Variables	Violence before gestation		Violence during gestation		p
Variables	n	%	n	%	p
Sexual violence					0.409
No	1,408	97.4	1,404	97.2
Yes	38	2.6	41	2.8
V11) "Did this person physically force you to have sex when you did not want to?"					0.404
No	1,424	98.5	1,421	98.3
Yes	22	1.5	24	1.7
V12) "Did you have sexual intercourse because you were afraid of what this person could do?"					0.443
No	1,420	98.2	1,422	98.3
Yes	26	1.8	24	1.7
V13) "Did this person force you into a sexual practice that you consider humiliating?"					0.500
No	1,426	98.6	1,427	98.7
Yes	20	1.4	19	1.3
Total	1,446		1,445
Recurrent sexual violence					0.303
1 episode	16	1.1	23	1.6
Recurrent	22	1.5	18	1.2
Total	38	2.6	41	2.8
Sexual violence initiated during gestation			20	48.4^a

Perpetrators	Violence before gestation		Violence during gestation		p
Perpetrators	n	%	n	%	p
Intimate partner	191	48.8	180	46.0	0.342
Other family members	100	25.6	110	28.1	0.296
Community members	45	11.5	37	9.5	0.235
Multiple perpetrators	55	14.1	64	16.4	0.251
Total	391	100.0	391	100.0	0.520

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[1] Author’s contribution

Ribeiro MRC, Pessoa BPT, Schraiber LB, Queiroz RCS, Batista RFL and Silva AAM: substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article. Sauaia GA and Cruz JAS: substantial contributions to analysis and interpretation of data; drafting the article. All authors approved the final version to be published.