Care for chidren and adolescents victims of violence: feelings of professionals from a psychosocial care center

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to unveil the feelings experienced by health professionals working at a Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Care Center (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infanto-Juvenil) in the care for children and adolescents victims of violence. Methodology: qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, carried out in a Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Care Center (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infanto-Juvenil). Data were collected through a semi-structured interview with ten professionals from the multidisciplinary team between May and June 2017. Data interpretation was based on the thematic analysis. Results: there were two themes: Contact with violence: feelings that emerge; and Between reason and emotion: contact with the perpetrator of violence. It was evidenced a multiplicity of feelings that affect the professionals involved in the care for children/adolescents victims. Conclusion and implications for practice: from the results, it is identified that professionals have difficulties in caring for children/adolescents victims of violence, with a need to devise strategies to deal with the range of feelings that emerge when performing this. In order to do so, it is believed that it is necessary to improve attention in the care network in order to reduce emotional levels overload and improve quality of life of victims and professionals, in order to solve problems for a healthier working process.