PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS TREATED AT THE LEGAL MEDICAL INSTITUTE AND THE CHILD AND YOUTH REFERENCE CENTER OF THE STATE OF SERGIPE

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between the characteristics of violence and the area of ​​residence of victims of sexual violence in the state of Sergipe, 2023. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive, and exploratory study, with a quantitative approach, carried out at the Instituto Médico Legal (IML) and the Centro de Referência Infantil (CRAI) of Sergipe. Sexual violence notification forms registered in 2023, collected between November 2023 and August 2024, were analyzed. CRAI serves children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence with a specialized multidisciplinary team, and IML performs forensic examinations to materialize criminal evidence. The sampling was non-probabilistic for convenience, and the data were analyzed descriptively. Associations were tested using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Results: 424 reports of sexual violence against children and adolescents in Sergipe, 2023, were analyzed. Most victims were female (85.1%), aged between 10 and 14 years (44.8%), black (69.3%), and living in urban areas (67.5%). The attacks occurred mainly at home (69.1%), with repeated violence (36.1%) and a predominance of rape (85.3%). The aggressors were mostly male (79.0%), belonging to the family circle (30.7%) or acquaintances (20.0%). There was a statistically significant association between the area of ​​residence and the type of referral (p<0.001), with a higher proportion of urban victims referred to child protection agencies. There was a marginal association with the race/color variable (p=0.061), with a higher proportion of black victims in rural areas. Conclusion: The findings show the predominance of cases of sexual violence among adolescents, females, black women, residents of urban areas and with low levels of education.