"It was illusory to think that it does not affect minors ...” Discourses of professionals who intervene on Vicarious Violence. A qualitative approach

Abstract

Introduction. Vicarious violence has remained largely invisible as a type of gender violence before and during the course of the Gender Violence Law in our country. Objective. The aim of this article is to make this type of gender violence visible by revealing the conceptual and contextual characteristics that frame it. Therefore, the aim of this work is to give a voice to these protagonists, to know the opinion of professionals who, from an interdisciplinary point of view, have intervened daily with women who have denounced situations of abuse: police, judges, psychologists, social workers and lawyers. Methodology. In order to carry out the analysis, a qualitative methodology was chosen consisting of 12 semi-structured interviews and 2 discussion groups with professionals who intervene in this type of violence. Results and Conclusions. Based on the testimony of all of them, a dialogue is constructed that allows us to make visible their daily work, their opinion on this type of gender violence, the main motivations that lead the perpetrators to perpetrate it, the consequences it has on its victims; not only the women, but also the children, current partners, relatives, pets... who live in a home in which gender violence is perpetrated. It also highlights some prevention strategies considered significant to implement in the future in order to eradicate it.