Victims of child sexual violence in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To assess and describe the epidemiological profile of child sexual abuse victims during the period 2013–2022 in the municipality of Boa Vista, Roraima. Methods: An ecological, descriptive, and exploratory study with a quantitative approach, using data from reports of cases of child sexual violence registered in the Notifiable Diseases Information System of the municipality of Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. Descriptive statistics and categorized variables were used. Absolute and relative frequencies were calculated.  To identify differences between groups, the Likelihood Ratio Test was applied, considering a significance level of 5% (p ≤ 0.05) and a 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI). The analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0. Results: The epidemiological profile of the victims showed that they were mostly female, brown-skinned, school-aged children. Most cases occurred within the home environment, with the main perpetrators being family members or acquaintances. Conclusion: There is a need to strengthen the protection of children who are vulnerable to child sexual violence.