Sexual exploitation in childhood and adolescence consists of a complex phenomenon, emerging from the materialization of social, economical, cultural, juridical, political and psychological gaps. The aim was to describe the daily lives of sexually exploited children and adolescents, and to identify the causing factors that lead the child to stay in the streets; to investigate the sexually exploited children's and adolescents' perspectives for life in the future. Ethnographic research having as a setting the Beira Mar Avenue and a Non-Governmental Organization in Fortaleza, in the State of Ceará. The subjects were children and adolescents within the age group ranging from 10 to 16 years old. The data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The analysis consisted of the comprehension, documentation, and categorization of the accounts. Thematic categories emerged: The Wandering; The Intra-familiar violence; Being rich to be happy. It has been concluded that the victims of that scourge are mostly economically oppressed children and adolescents, who come from families aggrieved by poverty and permeated by abuse and violence.
A violência doméstica atinge todos os componentes familiares, as crianças são consideradas as principais vítimas. Este é um estudo qualitativo que objetivou apreender a percepção de mães cujas filhas foram vítimas de abuso sexual infantil. Os dados foram coletados em fevereiro e março de 2007, em uma organização governamental de Fortaleza, CE, mediante entrevista semiestruturada com dez mães de meninas vítimas de abuso sexual. As informações foram submetidas à técnica do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo, da qual emergiram três temas: a culpa arraigada pelo mito materno, a dor do insuperável e o desespero como consequência do sentimento de impotência, permitindo apreender que as mães vivenciam uma gama de sentimentos, destacando-se a dor, revolta e impotência. Considera-se a necessidade de haver interesse por parte da sociedade para compreender a violência, sua magnitude e toda a cadeia atingida, caso contrário, só restarão boas intenções perdidas no vazio da falta de ação. ; La violencia doméstica afecta a todos los componentes familiares, las niñas son consideradas las principales víctimas. Este es un estudio cualitativo que tuvo por objetivo aprender la percepción de las madres cuyas hijas fueron víctimas de abuso sexual infantil. Los datos fueron recolectados entre febrero y marzo de 2007, en una organización gubernamental de Fortaleza, estado de Ceará, mediante entrevista semiestructurada con diez madres de niñas víctimas de abuso sexual. Las informaciones fueron sometidas a la técnica del Discurso del Sujeto Colectivo, de la cual emergieron tres temas: la culpa arraigada por el mito materno, el dolor de lo insuperable y el desespero, como consecuencia del sentimiento de impotencia, permitiendo aprender que las madres experimentan una amplia gama de sentimientos, destacándose el dolor, la rebelión y la impotencia. Se considera una necesidad que exista un interés por parte de la sociedad para comprender la violencia, su magnitud y todas sus implicaciones, caso contrario, solo restarán buenas intenciones perdidas en el vacío de la falta de acción. ; Domestic violence affects all members in a family and children are considered the main victims. This qualitative study aimed to grasp the perception of mothers whose daughters were sexually abused. Data were collected between February and March 2007 in a governmental facility in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil through semi-structured interviews with ten mothers of sexually abused children. Data were submitted to the Collective Subject Discourse Technique from which three themes emerged: Guilt is rooted in the motherhood myth, unhealable pain and despair as a consequence of a feeling of powerlessness. Results evidenced that mothers experience a range of feelings in which pain, revulsion and powerlessness are highlighted. Society should be engaged in the subject and interested in understanding violence, its magnitude and the whole affected chain, otherwise, only good intentions will remain, lost in the void from the lack of action.
Violence takes up a prominent place in the modern society. It is considered a public health problem. The aim of this study was to describe policies related to violence against children and adolescents. It was a documentary and reflective study which involved data from 1982 to 2006. From the data, it was formulated the following category: public policies concerned violence against children and adolescents. It is inferred that the way they have been treated varies between negligence, punishment and mere measures of care. There are statutes, codes and laws; however it seems they need energetic effective measures to be put into effect. It is necessary to develop activities that propitiate possibilities of a life with respect to the children and adolescents. The phenomenon of violence must send the society to the tireless fight for the practice of democracy. Amongst the social elements, the nurse is detached for being present in many scenes of assistance to children and adolescents, having opportunity to contribute significantly to the detection, prevention and notification of such phenomenon.
