Prevenção do abuso sexual de crianças e adolescentes em um município da Paraíba: percepção do Conselho Tutelar.

Abstract

The interest in this topic arose from concerns about the role of teachers and the situation of children who suffer from sexual abuse. Thus, our research focused on the perception of the Guardianship Council in a city in Paraíba, as this institution is primarily responsible for handling such cases. Therefore, this study is guided by the following research question: How does the Guardianship Council of a city in Paraíba act when faced with a report of sexual abuse? The general objective was to analyze the perception of the Guardianship Council regarding cases of sexual abuse of children and adolescents. Specifically, the study aimed: to investigate how members of the Guardianship Council act when they become aware of child sexual abuse; to examine the main difficulties faced by its members in the exercise of their duties; and to highlight the importance of sexual education within the school environment. This qualitative and exploratory research is based on the case study method. Data were collected through a survey consisting of 11 questions applied to 5 members of the Conselho Tutelar. For the study’s theoretical basis and analysis, we drew on authors such as Monteiro Filho (2002), Faleiros (2003), Santos (2007), Freire (2010), Oliveira (2021), Suplicy (1999), and Figueiró (1996). Trauma was addressed from the perspective of Foguel (2015) and Ramos (2015), while the concept of the Guardianship Council was grounded in the guidelines established by CONANDA (2014). The results indicate that, although the Guardianship Council fulfills its role in protecting children and adolescents, further political action and partnerships are required, including a stronger presence in schools and greater support for families, in order to enhance the protection of children against sexual abuse.