Characteristics of sexual violence in adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age, Cali 2001-2003.

Abstract

Background: In Colombia among violent not fatal injuries the sexual crimes occupy fourth place, being more affected the minors of age. The sexual violence experienced on the infancy or on the adolescence leaves severe consequences.
Objectives: To describe the occurrence of sexual violence cases denounced in teenagers from 10 to 19 years, during the 2001-2003 in Cali.
Methods: A descriptive study of prevalence of sexual abuse in adolescents from 10 to 19 years assisted in the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the Southwest region during the 2001-2003 for clinic and social work evaluation. Prevalence was calculated and the chi2 test was used to explore differences between variables.
Results: From 250 cases of accusations of adolescents were included 77.5% of these accusations were filed by women; being the most affected group age between 10 to 14; 96% reported to have any scholarship studies at the moment of the abuse; 46% were doing family-related activities at the moment of the abuse; 31.4% of the victims belonged to monoparental family and 40% to mixed family; 38.2% of the adolescents had records of family domestic violence; 82.6% of the aggressors were a victim’s acquaintance and only the 17% reported to have been attacked by a stranger. The menace and the blackmail were the principal forms used by the aggressor to persuade victim’s silence. Also stands out the presence of accomplices in the moment of the abuse. Finally, the commune (or municipality) 13 and 20 were the ones with a greater number of cases, and the one with the least was the 17 with only one case.
Conclusions: A high percentage of victims of sexual violence are women who know his aggressor. The accusations are more prevalent in sectors with socioeconomic disadvantage.