Violence against women: adolescents’ social representations

Abstract

Violence against women in affectionate intimate relationships is a serious problem that causes damages to its victims. In the social imaginary there are ways of thinking and representations that tend to trivialize this type of violence, considering it a natural practice. In this sense, this article brings a study that aimed to know the social representations elaborated by adolescents on violence against women in affectionate relationships. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview conducted with 22 adolescents, and analyzed through the content analysis technique (BARDIN, 2011). The results revealed that the adolescents represent violence against women objectified in an everyday phenomenon, which happens even in their families. They have also elaborated social representations anchored in patriarchy, in which men use violence as means to dominate partners. It was observed the need for preventive work that would make adolescents aware of patriarchal ideologies present in the society, helping them to construct social representations based on respect and gender equity.