Sexual Violence within Everyday Intimate Relationships in Brazil

• In Event: Estrategias de acceso a justicia y acciones políticas de víctimas de violencia sexual

Abstract

It is well documented that women are more likely to experience violence from a current or former partner than someone unknown to them. In Latin America, sexual violence is a daily part of many intimate relationships. Fieldwork conducted with the Brazilian NGO Promundo over the past three years has found “precursors” that are significantly overlooked but essential to deconstructing sexual violence. First, intimate partner violence (IPV) encompasses psychological and emotional violence such as controlling behaviors, which link to sexual violence. Second, girls begin to experience IPV during childhood in some cases, and adolescence; evidence shows that adolescent IPV increases the likelihood of adult IPV. Understanding a spectrum of casual to formal relationships and how violence(s) play out within them is fundamental for addressing sexual violence specifically.
This presentation draws from two empirical studies. The first, supported by IDRC, reveals connections between urban violence and IPV/sexual violence (e.g., between drug traffickers or police, and their intimate partners). The second study focuses on ‘dating’ violence during adolescence. In both cases, gender norms legitimize an absence of dialogue around sexual choices and protection, and sexual violence. Notions of masculinities (i.e., expectations of “being a man”), for example, across relationship trajectories as well as girls’ and boys’ experiences or witnessing of violence during childhood also must be analyzed. Implications for policies and programs in Brazil and other Latin American settings will be discussed, especially in terms of potential points of resistance, agency and access to justice given these sexual violence precursors.

Author

• Alice Taylor