Abuso no Contexto do Relacionamento Íntimo com o Companheiro:

Definição, Prevalência, Causas e Efeitos

Carla Paiva & Bárbara Figueiredo^*

Departamento de Psicologia da Universidade do Minho

 

RESUMO: Este artigo trata a problemática do abuso no contexto do relacionamento íntimo com o companheiro. Neste contexto, apresenta a definição dos diferentes tipos de abuso - abuso físico, abuso sexual e abuso psicológico - e a prevalência com que os mesmos têm sido reportados em diversos países. Discute as possíveis causas do abuso, conceptualizadas no quadro da teoria da vinculação, que enfatiza o impacto da qualidade das relações significativas, nomeadamente com as figuras parentais, e particularmente o impacto das circunstâncias de abuso sofridas durante a infância, na construção dos "modelos internos dinâmicos", os quais, por sua vez, interferem no estabelecimento do relacionamento com o companheiro na idade adulta. Descreve ainda os efeitos do abuso, ao nível da saúde física e mental, procurando realçar a importância da qualidade das relações interpessoais significativas na saúde e bem-estar dos indivíduos na idade adulta.

Palavras chave: Abuso físico, Abuso psicológico, Abuso sexual, Relações íntimas, Saúde, Vinculação.

 

 

Abuse in the Context of Intimate Partner Relationship:

Definition, Prevalence, Causes and Effects

ABSTRACT: This article refers to abuse phenomena in the context of intimate relationship with a partner. It presents a definition of the different kinds of abuse - physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse - and the prevalence they have been reported in several countries. It shows the possible causes of abuse, conceptualized attending specifically to attachment theory, which emphasizes the impact of the quality of significant relationships during childhood, and particularly the impact of abusive circumstances on the construction of "internal working models", whose interferes on the quality of the relationship with a partner in adulthood. It makes reference also to the effects of abuse experiences in the scope of intimate relationships on physical and mental health of individuals, strengthening the importance of the quality of interpersonal significant relationships on health and well being of individuals during adulthood.

Key words: Health, Intimate relationships, Physical abuse, Psychological abuse, Sexual abuse.

 

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Full text only available in PDF format.

 

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*Contactar para E-mail: cpaiva@iep.uminho.pt, bbfi@iep.uminho.pt

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o apoio da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFR/BD/6943//2001).