Violence against children and adolescents: the perspective of Primary Health Care

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the care provided by Basic Health Units (BHU) to families involved in domestic intrafamily violence against children and adolescents. Method: Qualitative research, based on the Paradigm of Complexity. Data collection was performed with 41 professionals through focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Results: The following categories emerged from data analysis: 'Everything comes here', which reflects the legitimate place of BHUs for the population and the actions taken to build care for families; and 'We only do what is really necessary', which brings the look to violence still based on the positivist and biomedical paradigm. Final considerations: The model of understanding and construction of work processes in the BHU is structured in the aforementioned paradigm. Nurses have the possibility to become agents of change, both in professionals' training and in the care thought and provided to communities.