Violence against women is a severe Public Health problem that occurs worldwide within all social classes. This study aimed at learning the social representations of violence against women in the perspective of nurses studying at a Nursing School in Lisbon, Portugal. Supported by the social representations, an exploratory research was carried out with the participation of 150 nurses. The data were collected through a questionnaire with five stimulating questions. For the analysis, the software DataVic 4.3 was utilized. Results evidence that the social representations of violence against women are restricted to the consensus universe which produces them and which is constituted, above all, by informal conversation and daily life.They also indicate that violence is not understood as a health problem. We consider that the theoretical foundation about the theme and the institutional involvement of the Health Services will contribute to the inclusion of violence against women in the Public Health agenda.
Nursing; Gender and health; Violence; Violence against women
