Abstract
Background
Violence against women is a violation of human rights and a public health problem.
Objective
To analyze surveillance reports of violence against women (aged 10 years or more), living in Niterói, RJ, from 2010 to 2014.
Method
Descriptive study based on case series was carried out. Case reports and population estimates were provided, respectively, by the National Surveillance Information System (SINAN) and the Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS). Incidence rates and proportions were calculated according to violence related characteristics.
Results
There were 307 reported cases of violence with incidence rate 26.2 per 100 thousand in the period studied decreased with age. Data incompleteness ranged from zero to 65%. Physical violence (n=186) was the most frequent type, followed by psychological (n=121), sexual (n=96) and negligence (n=64). Adolescents were the main victim of sexual violence (56.3%). Husband, ex-husband, boyfriend or ex-boyfriend were perpetrators in 42.6% of physical assaults, denoting the occurrence of violence between intimate partners. Mother was considered as the perpetrator in 50.7% of negligence cases, reflecting lack of sharing and female burden related to raising children alone.
Conclusion
Interpersonal/self-induced violence surveillance allow individual interventions and provide data for policy development towards prevention of violence against women.
Keywords:
violence; violence against women; health information systems; public health surveillance; gender and health