Violence againts female minors in situations of social exclusion

Abstract

This article presents part of the results of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in various women’s residential centres operating as part of social services in the Community of Valencia. Its aim is to identify the types of violence suffered by institutionalized women whose life history commenced in a situation of social exclusion as minors, and to do so from their perspective. Qualitative methodology was used, involving participative observation and in-depth interviews that, together with analysis of social reports and personal documents, permitted the reporting of their life histories. With respect to results, it should be noted that the analysed life histories included different types of violence against minors by their immediate and extended family: physical, psychological, financial (exploitation) and, above all, sexual abuse. Participants also complained of violence against women and the gender violence suffered by their mothers. But moreover, and even though they were minors, they too suffered gender violence and had to withstand the violence that their mothers’ partners perpetrated against their sons and daughters.