Considering that female adolescents living in shelters may have a different view regarding the meaning of violence and the effect it has on their lives, in this study, we aimed at understanding violence from the perspective of these youths. This qualitative study was performed using semi-structured interviews with 11 female adolescents embraced by a municipal shelter in Rio de Janeiro. Their statements were subjected to content analysis (thematic), which revealed the violence they experienced in their usual environments: family, community, and the shelter. The adolescents have a precise and rather concrete understanding of violence, pertinent to their experience. They face difficulties to realize the complexity of the phenomenon, basically referring to the community and intrafamily violence tangible to them. The results point to the need for more investments to engage in discussions regarding the process of vulnerability and disaffiliation that these adolescents experience in life, their roots and effects.
Violence; Violence against women; Adolescent, institutionalized; Adolescent health