Domestic Violence and the Maria da Penha Law: Profile of Aggression in Women Sheltered in a Social Unit of Protection

Abstract:

The violence based on gender has been constituted as a social phenomenon which influences the way of life, illness and death of women. This study analyzes the profile of assaults suffered by women victims of domestic violence before and after the creation of the Maria da Penha Law (LMP). It is a cross-sectional, descriptive exploratory search through archival study. The sample consisted of 197 medical records of women who were attended at a Special Protection Unit of the state of Ceará in the years between 2001 and 2012. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The ethical issues of this study were based on Resolution n.º 466/12. The project was approved by the Federal University of Ceará Research Ethics Committee (COMEPE) protocol 369.332. The results show that battered women are young (53.5%), brown (47.2%), without stable union (68.0%), with low education (91.4%), no fixed monthly income (30.5%), reside at home (35.5%) with family members (13.7%), are beneficiaries of any program income transfer (26.9%) and do not have formal jobs (69.1%). The attackers are young (71.7%, p=0.862), develop manual work (41.4%, p=0.976), consume alcohol (86.8%, p=0.814), illicit drugs (54.7%, p=0.249) and tobacco (54.7%, p=0.931). After the implementation of LMP, the attackers have more criminal history (58.7%, p=0.000); aggression has occurred more than once, with the largest number of complaints and the number of police occurrence report, and the use of psychoactive substances (22.6%, p=0.032) or jealousy (18.9%, p=0.032) triggering factors through physical (45.3%, p=0.619) force represented in leaving (13.2%, p=0.726) no noticeable bruises (22.6%, p=0.726) or marks located on the head, face and neck (28.3%, p=0.031). The profile of domestic violence has changed with the enactment of Law Maria da Penha and this scenario requires the development of social and health actions aimed at eradication / control, and effective assistance of this serious social problem and public health.

Keywords:
Domestic Violence; Women; Aggression.