Gender differences in prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Antisocial Behavior among Adolescents from Socially Vulnerable Areas in Brazil (P056)

• In Event: Poster session

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can lead to long-term developmental harm. These events can occur both in the private sphere, such as family neglect and maltreatment, and in the public sphere, such as exposure to crime and police violence. One of the negative outcomes of exposure to ACEs is the impaired development of social skills and negative socioemotional management, which may affect (pro/anti)social behavior during adolescence. It is known that there are gender differences in the incidence and assimilation of ACEs, as well as higher incidence of ACEs among people from more vulnerable strata. However, there are few studies on gender differences regarding ACEs in global south countries. Thus, the present research proposed to investigate the relationships between exposure to ACEs and antisocial behavior, considering gender differences, among youth living in communities demarcated by indicators of social vulnerability. The 1343 adolescents who participated in this study were from two cities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with ages between 14 and 17 years old. The youth filled the Adolescent Adverse Adolescent Experience Screening Scale and the Self-Report Questionnaire on Antisocial Behavior in Adolescents. The analyses indicate that girls, compared to boys, experience more adverse events. However, it is worth noting that the prevalence of some specific categories of adverse events are higher among boys, such as involvement in accidents and peer aggression. Conversely, boys manifest more antisocial behaviors than girls. Exposure to community violence did not differ between boys and girls. There are many complex social, cultural, and psychological factors that contribute to the differential victimization and perpetration rates of violence between genders. However, some of the most commonly cited reasons are: Socialization, Routine, Power/Control, and Cultural norms. This paper discusses these factors as explanations for gender differences in the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of violence.

Authors

• Pâmela Virgínia Santos, University of Sao Paulo

• André Vilela Komatsu, University of Sao Paulo

• Rafael Franco Dutra Leite, University of Sao Paulo

• Marina Rezende Bazon, University of São Paulo