Experiência de filhas (os) e mães com o afastamento paterno por violência conjugal: o discurso materno

Abstract

Intra-family violence is a reality present in the daily lives of many children and adolescents, who witness and/or experience various expressions of abuse in their own homes. This situation, which compromises the health and human development of these individuals, is even more acute in cases such as separations and accusations of marital violence, which tend to intensify spousal conflicts and, in turn, family conflicts, the understanding of which is essential to devise strategies at protecting these minors. The study aimed to: understand how daughters/sons and mothers experience paternal distancing due to marital violence and as specific objectives: unveiling, from the mothers' perspective, how children/adolescents experience paternal distancing due to spousal violence and; unveiling the mothers' relationship with their children in the context of paternal distancing due to marital violence. Research with a qualitative descriptive-exploratory approach developed in a Court of Domestic and Family Violence and within the Special Operation Ronda Maria da Penha scope with eight women involved in violent situations. Inclusion criteria were: being in a lawsuit for marital violence, having children under 18 with the defendant, being away from home, and exclusion not presenting emotional stability according to the psychologist's evaluation. The data collection technique was the guided interview based on a semi-structured form that contemplates socio-demographic aspects and the following guiding questions: Tell me about the process of the father's separation from her/his daughter/son and tell me about your relationship with your daughter/son before and after the lawsuit for marital violence? The interviews were recorded, transcribed in full and organized based on the content analysis proposed by Franco. The ethical precepts of bioethics regarding beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and autonomy were respected, according to the Conselho Nacional de Saúde. The mothers' speech revealed that their daughters/sons experienced the paternal separation through a greater attachment to the mother and protection of the female figure, while with the father, the children/adolescents showed resentment in parallel with longing for the relationship that once existed, besides revealing hope for the reconstruction of the family nucleus. This experience for mothers about their offspring was expressed through concerns with the emotional, the provisioning and the maintenance of the child's routine and fear about the relationship between father and daughter/son. The study allowed us to understand that the experiences of children and their mothers are permeated by feelings that can represent a sickness in both or even trigger a toxic relationship that compromises healthy development.