Researchers Identify Psychological Violence Is The First Step To Reporting It

Psychological violence consists of a type of abuse in which the aggressor manipulates the emotions of his victims. When this manipulation is present in relationships, it can also be known as gaslighting. This type of violence, in addition to causing instability in the victims, can trigger a series of other psychological and emotional problems, such as anxiety, low self-esteem and a constant feeling of dependence on the abuser.

Identification
The first way for victims to understand and denounce psychological violence is to identify this abuse. According to professor Antônio de Pádua Serafim, professor at the Institute of Psychology at the University of São Paulo, it can be identified through disrespect based on inappropriate verbalizations, speeches with content of humiliation, offenses, intimidation and even death threats. The professor also comments that this manipulation is involved with different power relations.

According to the specialist, this type of abuse tends to be more frequent in romantic relationships: “Psychological violence comprises a set of characteristics that mainly involves a process of disrespect for the other. It happens in several relationships, such as work relationships, family relationships and interpersonal relationships. However, it usually happens a lot in situations where there is an affective connection between the parties. In these cases, the affective load is very large. The partner comes to believe that, without the other, their life would be insufficient ”.

Serafim also reinforces that manipulation, or gaslighting , is one of the most striking characteristics of this type of violence. “ Manipulation is part of human relationships and, in some people, it can be more intense or more constant”, explains the professor.

In addition, psychological follow-up is essential for victims to recover from this violence: “The aggressor creates a condition of vulnerability in the victim, thus, she loses self-confidence. So, it is important that this person finds support through treatment after medical evaluation, along with psychological follow-up. In addition, psychotherapy is extremely important to realign this victim’s line of thought”, says Serafim.

Legislation
Since 2006, psychological abuse has been typified as a crime by the Brazilian legal apparatus. Professor Mariângela Gama de Magalhães Gomes, from the Department of Criminal Law, Forensic Medicine and Criminology at the Faculty of Law of USP, explains a little how this type of violence is covered by Brazilian legislation: “We have some examples of psychological violence in our code criminal. The Maria da Penha Law began to predict psychological violence as one of the forms of domestic violence against women”.


It is interesting to note that, although psychological violence is not necessarily practiced by men against women, it is quite common for it to happen that way. According to the specialist, “this reveals this machismo, this misogyny, this gender hierarchization that makes many men feel authorized to practice this type of violence. And women, in turn, had fewer resources or were less prepared to face this type of violence. So, it is more common for it to happen against women, although it does not necessarily have to be like that.”

It is important to remember that, despite being created for women, the law can also be used by men who are subject to domestic violence. Therefore, the creation of legislation does not exclude any part of the population that faces this type of abuse.

In addition, the expert adds that, not long ago, article 147-B of the Penal Code called “Psychological violence against women” was determined, which is characterized by causing emotional harm to women that harms and disturbs their full development. . Among the behaviors foreseen in this criminal type, Mariângela cites embarrassment, humiliation, manipulation, isolation, blackmail, ridicule and so on.

If a woman is a victim of psychological violence, she can go to a police station, register the occurrence and ask for State protection. “ The protection of the State can be given through protective measures that, in general, tend to be relatively quick. These can, for example, oblige the aggressor not to get close or contact the victim. These are ways to prevent violence from continuing to occur. Sometimes, this complaint turns into a criminal process, in which the aggressor may respond criminally for the violence”, explains the specialist.

Another important fact about psychological violence is the fact that it is often accompanied by other types of abuse, such as physical and sexual aggression. According to Mariângela, “often, it is the first step towards an escalation of violence”, therefore it is necessary to identify it and take measures as soon as possible. The teacher also mentions that, in 2021, the crime of persecution, also known as stalking , was added to the Penal Code , a crime in which an individual pursues another, a factor that may end up affecting the psychological rigidity of the victim.