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Ajayu Órgano de Difusión Científica del Departamento de Psicología UCBSP

versión On-line ISSN 2077-2161

Ajayu vol.20 no.2 La Paz  2022  Epub 31-Ago-2022

https://doi.org/10.35319/ajayu.202111 

ARTÍCULO

Risk factors analysis in juvenile victims of sexual violence in La Paz-Bolivia

Análise de fatores de risco em vítimas de violência sexual em La Paz-Bolívia

Análisis de factores de riesgo en menores víctimas de violencia sexual en La Paz-Bolivia

Claudia Karina Altamirano-Sarzuri1 

1Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivia. altamiranosarzuri@gmail.com


Summary

Sex education in Bolivia through different perspectives, one of them is, in the enactment of Education Law 070 Avelino Siñani-Elizardo Pérez which mandates that community nonschool education in young people be in force, as well as the subsystem of Non-school Education is put into effect in Bolivia. The role of social education is to prevent different types of sexual violence, which necessarily goes through an educational and training process. Therefore, the purpose of this work tries to answer the research question: What are the risk factors that exist in victims of sexual violence? In this last decade in Bolivia, laws (548 and 348) were enacted that sanction this type of crime in favor of women, children and adolescents. In the present investigation, it is proposed from the documentary and archive approach for the general contextualization in a descriptive way and later in a corroborative way between the risk factors and their statistical analysis of these in the applied investigation, where the filling of a form designed for the emptying of a series of interviews with victims of Sexual Violence among the Victims of Commercial Sexual Violence for after systematizing the data with which statistical analysis was carried out in SPSS, having results of different risk factors, Finally, it is concluded that emotional and family factors are the keys in the approach in social education towards this population group.

Keywords: Sexual violence; survivors; victims; social education

Resumo

A educação sexual na Bolívia através de diferentes perspectivas, uma de las está na promulgação da Lei de Educação 070 "Avelino Siñani-Elizardo Pérez" que determina que a educação comunitária não escolar em jovens esteja em vigor, bem como o subsistema de educação não escolar A educação é posta em prática na Bolívia. O papel da educação social é prevenir os diversos tipos de violência sexual, o que necessariamente passa por um processo educativo e formativo. Assim, u objetivo deste trabalho procura responder à questão de investigação: ¿Quais são os fatores de risco que existem nas vítimas de violência sexual? Nesta última década, na Bolívia, foram promulgadas leis (548 e 348) que sancionam esse tipo de crime em favor de mulheres, crianças e adolescentes. Na presente investigação, propõe-se a partir da abordagem documental e arquivística para a contextualização geral de forma descritiva e posteriormente de forma corroborativa entre os fatores de risco e sua análise estatística destes na investigação aplicada, onde o preenchimento de um formulário desenhado para o esvaziamento de uma série de entrevistas com vítimas de violência sexual entre as Vítimas de Violência Sexual Comercial para após sistematizar os dados com os quais foi realizada análise estatística no SPSS, tendo resultados de diferentes fatores de risco, os fatores familiares são a chave na abordagem da educação social para este grupo populacional.

Palavras-chave: Violência sexual; sobreviventes; vítimas; educação social

Resumen

La educación sexual en Bolivia a traviesa por diferentes miradas, una de ellas está en la promulgación de la ley de Educación 070 Avelino Siñani-Elizardo Pérez que manda que la educación no escolarizada comunitaria en los jóvenes se encuentre vigente, así como el subsistema de Educación no escolarizada se ponga en vigencia en Bolivia. Se tiene que el rol de la educación social prevendrá diferentes tipos de violencia sexual, lo que necesariamente pasa por un proceso educativo y formativo. Por lo que, el propósito del presente trabajo trata de responder a la interrogante de investigación ¿Cuáles son los factores de riesgos que existen en víctimas de la violencia sexual? En esta última década en Bolivia se promulgaron leyes (548 y 348) que sancionan este tipo de delito a favor de las mujeres, niños y adolescentes. En la presente investigación se plantea desde el abordaje de documental y de archivo para la contextualización general de una manera descriptiva y posteriormente de una manera corroborativa entre los factores de riesgo y su análisis estadístico de estos en la investigación aplicada, donde se realizó el llenado de un formulario diseñado para el vaciado de una serie de entrevistas a las víctimas de violencia sexual entre las Víctimas de Violencia Sexual Comercial para después de sistematizar los datos con los cuales se realizó análisis estadístico en el SPSS teniendo resultados de diferentes factores de riesgo, finalmente, se concluye que los factores emocionales y familiares son la clave en el abordaje en la educación social hacia este grupo de población.

Palabras Claves: Violencia sexual; sobrevivientes; víctimas; educación social

The current research - carried out from a psycho-educational perspective as an alternative in non-schooled education with young people, considers legal, economic, social, and family factors - deals at a theoretical level with the two major problems under investigation: the risk factors and the analysis of these from an educational approach within a learning process, within the Bolivian educational system. This initial approach can be conceived as a theoretical framework based on multiple contributions of recent research that, from different perspectives, make up a broad perspective of these two serious -and growing- public health problems. The findings made in this regard can be described as alarming but serve as parameters for both specialists and people interested in both phenomena for prevention purposes. The objective of the elaboration of this theoretical framework is twofold. On the one hand, to define the set of risk factors that come into play in the potential victims of both crimes of a sexual nature become effective victims. On the other hand, to determine at an educational level the expected protection factors in survivors of sexual violence. The research carries out this extensive review and theoretical systematization, since from its research assumptions are formulated to carry out a study carried out with 102 adolescents between 13 and 20 years old - victims of sexual crimes in the cities of La Paz. The present investigation carried out since psychoeducational perspective as an alternative in non-school education with adolescents, considers legal, economic, social and family factors, addresses at a theoretical level the major problems: risk factors and analysis of these from an educational approach within a learning process, within the Bolivian educational system. This initial framework can be conceived as a theoretical framework based on multiple contributions from recent investigations that plant a general view of what is sexual violence at a global level through investigations by UNICEF and other investigations from which the problem of sexual trade in them is addressed. vulnerable countries. The founding carried out in this respect can qualify as alarming United Nations Development Fund for Women UNIFEM (2009), but serve as parameters both for specialists and for people interested in both phenomena for prevention purposes (SEPAMOS, 2014). The objective of the elaboration of this theoretical framework is twofold. On the one hand, define the set of risk factors that intervene in which the potential victims of both crimes of sexual nature become actual victims. On the other hand, to determine at an educational level the protective factors expected in survivors of Sexual Violence. The investigation carries out this extensive review and theoretical systematization, based on which research assumptions are formulated to carry out a study carried out with 102 adolescents between 13 and 20 years old - victims of sexual crimes in the cities of La Paz and El Alto- Bolivia, between the years 2009 and 2019.

The methodology of the present investigation was carried out with the filling of a form specially designed for this purpose and through a series of interviews. All the data that we used were systematized and with a series of statistical operations were collected in an appropriate way to the nature of the investigation and taking the necessary precautions to protect the anonymity of the participants. The results correlate risk factors in Sexual Violence and Commercial Sexual Violence. Therefore, it is possible to consider them as effective indicators of how these crimes impact Bolivian adolescence. From a preventive perspective, with the objective of minimizing criminal recidivism and, therefore, the possible consequences for the population considered to be risky. Finally, this investigation will openly discuss the scope of the work carried out, its practical limitations and establish the routes to be followed by new investigations aimed at the same route: the prevention of sexual crimes against youth, a better attention on the part. of the Bolivian justice system and the adequate psychological approach to the survivors, with the aim of avoiding new aggression during the corresponding investigations and obtaining more encouraging results when overcoming the aggression and adequate reinsertion in a society and applying it diagnosis of alternative education subsystem in higher education with the aim of creating a program the educational model for sexual offenders or sexual victims of Sexual Violence.

Legal Approach

In legal terms, the Penal Code (ART.308 Bis., 309 and 312) in force in Bolivia establishes that child sexual violence includes rape (carnal access with a person of either sex under 14 years of age, with vaginal or anal penetration or introduction of objects for libidinous purposes), rape (carnal access through seduction or deception, with a person of either sex over 14 years of age and under 18) and sexual abuse (all libidinous acts that do not constitute carnal access) (SEPAMOS, 2014). Therefore, in this case, the adjective infantile also includes sexual violence against adolescents. In this regard, and respecting the legal terminology in use, it should be clarified that Law 348 incorporates the term infant to the Bolivian Penal Code, considering the differentiation between early childhood (from birth to 5 years old) and school childhood (from 6 to 12 years). Before that, in the Infant and Adolescent Code, childhood was considered in the infant category (from 0 to 12 years old) (ENDA, 2022).

According to PAHO, WHO and UNICEF (2018), violence affects children and adolescents in different ways and to different degrees and manifests itself differently in the stages of development, “It is any action that involves a girl or boy in an activity of a sexual or erotic nature, which due to their age and development they cannot fully understand and that they are not prepared to perform or cannot freely consent to. In child sexual abuse, the adult can use strategies such as seduction, blackmail, threats, psychological manipulation and/or the use of physical force to involve a boy or a girl in sexual or erotic activities of any kind. In all these acts we can recognize that there is asymmetry of power and coercion operates.” (UNICEF, 2006). It constitutes any conduct typified in the Penal Code that affects the freedom and sexual integrity of an infant or adolescent; 3. Sexual Violence against children and adolescents or the attempt to consummate a sexual act is considered a crime and, therefore, a violation of fundamental rights.

Among the manifestations of sexual violence, we have: Touching, caressing, groping or approaches of a person towards an infant or adolescent, consented or not by the victim. These touches can be on any part of the body and not exclusively in intimate areas, such as the breasts, genital area or buttocks, forcing a girl, boy or adolescent to touch the intimate parts of the aggressor or other partners, making insinuations or comments of a sexual nature regarding their body or appearance, exposure or facilitation to view pornography in magazines, movies, internet, cell phone or other media. As well as taking intimate photos and/or producing pornographic material using girls, boys and adolescents, masturbating in front of children and adolescent, having sexual intercourse with or without penetration, using blackmail and/or threats to sexually children and adolescent abuse harassing, sexually harassing, seducing, emotionally manipulating or falling in love with a girl, boy and/or adolescent, use of erotic words and sexual verbal proposals to students, the invention of games with the purpose of making the or the student shows or touches parts of his or her body, spying on the student when he or she is in the bathroom or while changing clothes and insinuations or comments regarding his or her private sexual life or practices (Ministry of Education, 2019).

Factors that increase the risk of suffering in child Sexual Violence (SV). The prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents constitutes a challenge of great proportions, as well as the treatment of the survivors of said aggressions. This major complication is due to the multiple factors related to the possibility of this crime occurring, especially in developing countries (Bassani et al., 2009). However, those who work in the area of prevention must be aware of this difficulty and, despite it, concentrate on recognizing the risk factors within the dynamics of family life. In this regard, most specialists on the subject (Honess, 2000; Abbey et al., 2004; Eryl, 2013; Beitchman et al., 1991; Davis and Jones, 2013) agree in pointing to socio-cultural aspects, factors educational and economic, and alcohol and drug abuse by parents and/or caregivers of the victim, as the most important risk factors for the occurrence of child Sexual Violence (SV).

Thus, despite the multifactorial complexity identified at the origin of this problem, the specialized literature provides sufficient information to design appropriate approaches for early detection and treatment of child sexual violence (and at the end of this book there is an extensive database bibliographic). In what follows, some risk factors for minors are identified that increase the possibility of them suffering SV, since such characterization is essential to improve the results of work with children and adolescents (Hornor, 2002).

Educational System in Bolivia

Within the Law 070 on Education has been broken down university higher education in special regimes ART. 60 in training and community social participation ART. 91 where research is present fits by the importance of community social participation where the structure, mechanisms attributes of education aimed at regulation to create policies to contribute to educational quality within the framework of the correspondence of educational actors in the young and adult population. The end of these legal statements of this law are fulfilling the promotion of analysis of the educational actors in this case the victims of sexual violence. The curriculum and curricular guidelines of the fields and areas of alternative education from the Alternative and Special Education Model in the guidelines in ART.4 Permanent Education. Where he cites that should develop methodological guidelines in continuing education, as well as the development of continuing education programs.

Within the minimum ages for enrollment of courses or others in higher education from the general standards of the subsystem of alternative and special education, the Ministry of Education mandates that young people over 14 years can take courses in technical and higher education the following stages basic technical, technical auxiliary and technical medium, within which you have short training processes In the restoration of the right of victims of sexual violence and even in cases of sexual aggressors, you have to, in Bolivia through the Ministry of Education outline curricular guidelines that benefit vulnerable populations with the approach of social reintegration with a family approach in its approach. This model is called the socio-educational model of alternative education. In addition, as mandated by the Child and Adolescent Code in cases of victims of violent crimes, victims or survivors must be approached from a model with a restorative axis, where the victim can be reintegrated into the community, this restorative process offers the victim, the family and other members to accompany this restorative process necessarily through an educational process to be effective.

Social Education

One of the most important goal is to democratize access and permanence to adequate education in cultural and socially relevant, through educational policies and processes relevant to the needs, expectations and interests of people, families, communities and organizations, mainly of people older than fifhteen who require to start or continue their studies. In addition, to propose an educational system in terms of sexual education is vital in order to democratize our communal sexual educational.

Second, to contribute and develop the integral formation and critical awareness of social and youth movements, citizen organizations and producers, with policies, plans, programs and educational projects not schooling, directly linked to everyday life, supported by conceptions and intercultural relationships of social participation and community. In this understanding, the Plurinational Education System must have different views to solve and prevent this type of crimes in terms prevention in victims of sexual assault, for that reason the bases of restorative justice in its educational purposes are the reparation and reintegration of victims Offer an education as a fundamental human right for victims of crimes of violence, enabling their reintegration into social life and community. In addition to developing integral training processes, recognizing their knowledge, knowledge and experiences, which allows victims of violence to assume a critical and reflective position to achieve their life project and social transformation.

Emphasis on the educational process: Within the curricular guidelines in higher education with a restorative approach that supports Laws such as 548 and 348 that sanction violence and all types of crime in women and children and adolescents, especially in cases of sexual violence. In addition, on the part of criminology there is law 2298 in its ART.179 which refers to treatment programs in prisons for prisoners, being that in Bolivia there are few programs that address this issue from a socio-social perspective. education to people linked to sexual crimes. Based on these considerations, this research aims to propose elements of victimology in educational processes in La Paz within the educational model two components are considered: the evaluation and intervention divided into different phases such as: the diagnostic phase, the phase of intervention and the validation phase of the proposed educational model.

Methodological theoretical analysis

Youth appear as key periods when wanting to unravel the complexity of the emergence, also a variation experienced by social behaviors and belonging to a group. However, this is often frustrated when we consider data such as United Nations Development Fund for Women UNIFEM (2009) which indicated that six out of every ten women in Latin America have ever suffered sexual violence in the course of their lives. Unfortunately, this data is corroborated with the fact that in Bolivia the second crime with the highest percentage is that referring to sexual crimes (Regimen Penitenciario, 2021). The statistics reveal a high prevalence of cases of sexual aggression against underage women; crime that in legal terminology in Bolivia is known as child sexual violence. Some factors that increase the risk of suffering sexual violence. The prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents constitutes a challenge of great proportions, as does the treatment of survivors of such aggressions. Though, those who work in the area of prevention must be aware of this difficulty and, in spite of it, concentrate on recognizing the risk factors within the dynamics of family life. In this regard, the majority of specialists in the subject (Davis & Jones, 2013) coincide in pointing out socio-cultural aspects, educational factors, psychological, power use and economic factors, and abuse of alcohol and drugs by parents and/or caregivers of the victim, as the most important risk factors for the practice of Sexual Violence. Thus, despite the multifactorial complexity identified at the origin of this problem, the specialized literature provides sufficient and appropriate information for early detection and addressing Sexual Violence.

Family risk factors

The most widespread theories about possible risk factors establish that the conditions of the family structure and the way in which its members perform the functions significantly affect children and adolescents. As regards the way of developing family functions, for example, the presence of factors such as intra-family violence, the lack of parental skills to handle daily stressful situations and the absence of communication between family members. they increase the possibility of abuses against minors (SEPAMOS, 2014, Altamirano, 2016, Aramayo, 2010). From structures’ perspective, some authors maintain that certain types of family composition increase the chances of the emergence of Sexual Violence. They mention, for example, that sons and daughters who live with a stepfather and children with only one father (Senn et al., 2007) present a greater risk of being victims of Sexual Violence. On the other hand, the results of some investigations indicate that certain characteristics identified in some parents are associated with an increased risk of minor children to be victimized. Thus, parents and stepfathers with a history of sexual abuse suffered in the infancy are ten times more likely to sexually abuse their children. Furthermore, if this history of sexual abuse of progenitors or stepfathers includes episodes of force and penetration, children living with them are prone to serious sexual abuse (Merrill et al., 2003; Senn et al.; SEPAMOS, 2014). Another risk factor that has been identified in the fact that parents have impersonal sexual relations (such as solitary masturbation), risk (such as frequent casual sex) or that tend to see child pornography (Stinson, Sales, Becker, 2008). In some cases of incest, the relationship can become one of chronic abuse because altered patterns impede the critical sense of family members. Thus, dissatisfaction in sexual relationships, uncontrolled sexual impulses and sexual disorders as well as cognitive distortions about sexuality (such as pedophilia) can lead adults to commit acts of sexual violence against minors. they are in charge (Mas and Carrasco, 2005).

Along these lines, family dysfunction - caused by violence in the family, substance abuse by members, death of the parents or caregivers, mental illness of the same promotes the conditions that cause adolescents to tend to flee their homes or be expelled from them (Mitchell, Finkelhor, Wolak, 2010). When this happens, according to Estes and Weiner (2010, cited in Hardy et al., 2013), 75% of the young women who are in street situations suffer sexual violence.

METHOD

Participants

The archival information used for the present study was constituted by 102 files related to judicial actions and forensic evaluations carried out on victims of Sexual Violence. The expedients were obtained from the office of the Departmental Prosecutor's Office of the cities of La Paz and El Alto, from the Departmental Service of Social Management (Servicio de Gestión Social SEDEGES), a public institution that provides assistance and approach to victims of trafficking for of commercial sexual exploitation (in the Women Therapy Center). Of the 102 cases considered, 50 corresponded to trafficking of minors for commercial exploitation and 52 to sexual violence against children. All the files referred to women between 13 and 18 years old. Considering this range of ages, the different forms of nomination and typology of the crimes that the Bolivian Criminal Code understands as sexual, some clarifications can be raised before continuing.

The Bolivian Penal Code considers that sexual violence against children includes, in addition to children from 0 to 12 years of age, persons over 12 years of age and under 18 years of age. Therefore, and in order to respect this type of legal nature, in this case, the third part of the investigation maintains the child sexual violence terminology to refer to the cases considered below, although they correspond to women between 13 and 18 years old (adolescents, in colloquial terms). On the other hand, the Comprehensive Law against Trafficking in Persons and Human Trafficking makes commercial sexual exploitation one of the purposes of trafficking, being an aggravating circumstance in this case the fact that the crime victim is adolescent (from between 12 and 18 years old), among other possible aggravating factors. For this reason, in the following, we will talk about Commercial Sexual Violence.

Resources

For the realization of the present study, a codification form specifically designed to collect data of both groups of victims of Sexual Violence was created. The Coding Form collected demographic data, information related to the risk factors associated with sexual violence and trafficking of children for the purpose of Commercial Sexual Violence (street exposure, history of abuse/violence in childhood, among others), the description of the facts provided by the victims, the perceptions that they express about their aggressors and themselves, and information about the psychological evaluations that were carried out.

Process

First, 102 files were randomly selected from the cases attended to related to the problem between 2009 and 2019. Then, each file was assigned a code number in order to avoid duplicate coding of reports. The files were encoded. The additional coding, for the analysis of the items in which there was a narrative (that is, qualitative data) that summarized the perception and description of the victims, was carried out by the principal investigator and her tutor. investigation. To validate the results, the correction was made separately. Thus, similar results were obtained in their analysis separately in 20% of the cases considered; the intraclass correlation for the average measures was 0.94.13 The final data were introduced into a Microsoft Access database and, subsequently, into a database of the SPSS statistical program.

RESULTS

The demographic analysis was made with a total population of 102 people, divided into two 15 groups, one of victims of trafficking of minors for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation (N = 50) and another of victims of sexual violence (N = 52). The relevant aspects considered were age, place of origin, socioeconomic status, and some family characteristics to identify the particularities of this population. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) is a concordance index for continuous data and is obtained by comparing the differences between observers and observation instruments. A value between 0.81 and 1.00 is considered almost perfect according to the scale of Landis and Koch (Mandeville, 2005).

With regard to the variables related to the family, it was found that in the group of victims of commercial sexual exploitation, 36% of adolescents grew up with both parents (N = 50, n = 18), 28% with only one parent (n = 14), 20% with parents and stepparents (n = 10), 14% with relatives (n = 7) and 2% with other people (n = 1). In the group of victims of Sexual Violence, 51% of adolescents grew up with both parents (N = 52, n = 27), 29% with only one parent (n = 15), 8% with parents and stepfather (n = 4) and 14% with other relatives (n = 5); none of them grew up with other people (n = 0). On the other hand, there were significant differences between the groups regarding the type of child abuse committed by the parents of the adolescents according to the Chi-Square test χ2 (3. 96) = 10.7, p = 0.013. z = 1.8 in the type of violence by negligence and multiple. Physical risk factors. There was a significant difference between the groups regarding who has a history of substance abuse (alcohol or drugs), χ2 (1. 85) = 15.9, p = 0.001. Based on an analysis of probabilities/ratio, adolescent victims of Commercial Sexual Violence were 8.19 times more likely to have a history of substance use than Sexual Violence victims.

Table 1 Cross-tabulation in family risk factors in childhood committed by the father before suffering Commercial Sexual Violence or Sexual Violence Types of abuse committed by the father 

Groups of sexual abuse No (n = 52) Negligence (n = 18) Emotional, physical or sexual (n = 16) Multiple (n = 10)
Commercial Sexual Violence Group 34.6% 77.8% 50% 4.8%
Sexual Violence Group 65.6% 22.2% 50% 40%

Note: Cells indicate percentage of abuse types (column) and type of sexual abuse (row), 2020

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

This study examined several aspects related to Commercial Sexual Violence from 2009 to 2019, but why is the importance for 2022? In terms of applicability of the results through the time we can say that educative and psychological pattern is the same, both from a general perspective, addressing multiple findings of specialized literature in this type of crime, as well as from a localized investigation in two Bolivian cities considering reported cases between 2009 and 2019. The findings not only shed light on the risk factors associated with the Victims of Commercial Sexual Violence, but also on the potential psychological and educational effects caused by such experiences. In order to discuss some future actions within Avelino Siñani Law, we can develop some considerations in terms of sexual education models.

This study examined various aspects related to Sexual Violence and risk factors both from a general perspective and the findings not only on the risk factors associated with sexual violence in young adolescents, but also on the potential psychological effects caused by such experiences. In addition to this, the identification of the risk factors that came into play so that many adolescents were victims of Sexual Violence in the cities of La Paz and El Alto in recent years may be crucial to establish the best practices regarding sexual violence. society's response to this growing problem.

Although it is not possible to discern exactly the type of risk factor, it is very likely, considering the clinical and educational experience on this type of case, that the victims of Sexual Violence at some point in the legal process have ceased to cooperate with the authorities for several reasons. reasons, such as being subjected to sharing physical detention environments with minor offenders, the need to ensure the safety of their families, fear of reprisals, and economic issues related to the search for support.

During post-rescue captivity, victims increase the level of trauma as part of the re-experiencing of the event that arises in their minds while they are deprived of free locomotion. Still the psychological torment since the survivors live in fear of others, fearing that they will harm their families or themselves. Although in Bolivia, the Public Ministry, aware of the need to develop mechanisms to protect direct and indirect victims of Sexual Violence, provides legal, psychological and social assistance aimed at supporting them, as well as victims of sexual crimes and witnesses who form Among the groups, especially among family risk factors, it was found that the group that suffered Commercial Sexual Violence had the highest rates of domestic abuse, carried out mainly by their parents, compared to the group that suffered Sexual Violence. Maltreatment due to parental neglect was considerably higher than emotional, physical, sexual or multiple maltreatment. On the other hand, researchers have previously described the connection between child abuse at home and the risk of subsequent Sexual Violence, as part of the secondary effects of street exposure, either running away or being kicked out of the house. These findings are consistent with the specialized literature on the problem (Estes and Weiner, 2010 cited in Hardy et al., 2013; Mitchell, Finkelhor and Wolak, 2010; Smeaton, 2009).

Therefore, it is essential to have the appropriate counseling and therapy to work examining the best solution for family systems where child abuse is practiced, and sometimes seek the construction of a new family system. In fact, in the cases of Commercial Sexual Violence, government and non-government agencies must understand that, among other things, the dimension of the crime and its consequences are greater than their frame of reference or understanding.

Regarding physical risk factors, adolescent victims of Sexual Violence reported higher rates of substance abuse (alcohol or drugs) in the past, together with exposure to the street, compared to the group that suffered Commercial Sexual Violence. The groups did not show significant differences in whether or not the adolescents felt unsafe at home.

This finding supports the idea that poverty itself is not the main cause of participation in sex work. However, it seems that the combination of family problems, need for money and exposure to the street increases the risk that an adolescent may be a victim of Commercial Sexual Violence (Mitchell, Finkelhor and Wolak, 2010). For this reason, government and/or municipal officials need to formulate policies that help adolescent girls in terms of providing these survivors with space and both psychological and economic protection in their process of recovery and reintegration into daily life.

Regarding emotional risk factors, it was found that adolescents who suffered Commercial Sexual Violence reported that they had experienced a lack of love in their homes and had the need to feel better, compared to those who suffered Sexual Violence. These findings are consistent with those previously reported by Lloyd (2011), Herman (1992), and Smeaton (2005), who emphasized that boundaries, roles, and functions within the family system are vital for emotional stability in adolescents. Otherwise, these young people may increase their social interactions of the emotional dependency type. Thus, when traffickers pay attention to adolescent girls using compliments and flattery, they can become easy targets for Commercial Sexual Violence.

In the conclusions about the economic risk factors after the crime, significant differences were found between the groups. Adolescents who suffered Sexual Violence expressed a greater need to earn money compared to victims of Commercial Sexual Violence. In the risk factors of an educational type, the creation of an educational model within this law in terms of the sex education in a preventive way should have:

  1. Diffusion: Inform and reflect about the ways to prevent sexual violence inside home and also, outside home. This model can consider schools and community service to work together.

  2. The characteristics of human development with psychological components of young adolescents should be known to avoid being victims of sexual violence and commercial sexual violence.

In family risk factors, for example, it was found that it was more likely that the group that suffered Commercial Sexual Violence continued to suffer, without any significant change, family abuse / violence, compared to the other Sexual Violence group. Regarding the physical risk factors, a significant difference was found between the two groups. The adolescent victims of Sexual Violence showed a greater predisposition to be exposed to the street than the adolescents of the other group. Regarding the emotional risk factors, it was found that the adolescents of the group that suffered Sexual Violence were more likely to experience a lack of love in their homes. However, the study did not show a significant difference between the two groups in terms of expressing the need to feel better. Regarding the educational risk factors after the experiences of sexual suffering, a difference was found between the two groups. In the group that suffered Sexual Violence, a significant percentage of the survivors tended to complete secondary school after the commission of crime, compared with the other adolescents. At the end, we can say that preventing situations of social risk such as sexual violence through the education will improve living conditions and restore the rights of children and young people in Bolivia.

With the aim of preventing Commercial Sexual Violence, institutions and government programs that offer social support to children and adolescents in situations of risk could receive support to reach more families, giving them the ability, for example, to protect victims of child abuse through the aggressor (typically, the priest or the stepfather) of the domicile and providing the mother with the capacity for economic survival. In addition, one could work in two important areas: prevention and repair of the damage caused by this crime, whose perpetration is growing in the country.

Limitations and future directions.

The present studio has several limitations. The first one is related to the use of archival data that prevents the collection of bad information in specific cases, as it is not detailed in the files or in the actuarial files of the victims. The second, with the small size of the sample used for applied research. The reduced number of files prevented the comparison of the relationships between the first and second interviews concerning the groups considered.

This study was primarily focused on the psychological impact on survivors of Commercial Sexual Violence. However, a reduced but valuable amount of information was found for future studies in the area of sexual crimes and the treatment of victims provided by the Bolivian legal system. Another aspect, significant from the perspective of psychopathology, which could be considered at the time of designing adequate treatments for this type of victims of sexual crimes when they come to therapy, is to consider the probabilities that extended exposure in the time to sexual violence can be related with the development of an employer of limited personality, and that the experience of Commercial Sexual Violence for a long time is related, in turn, with the development of an employer of antisocial personality. Both personality patterns, clearly differentiated by the DSM V when determining the characteristics of the personality disorders of cluster B, are related to contextual aspects of development that can be identified to a certain extent in the testimonies of survivors of Sexual Violence and Commercial Sexual Violence, respectively.

Finally, future studies could involve interviews with survivors of Commercial Sexual Violence and prolonged Sexual Violence that are interacting with the legal system. An approach of this nature would allow researchers on the ground to expand the information obtained from the archive collection, while, in the future, the investigations could collect specific information on the experience of survivors of Commercial Sexual Violence through the legal process. This information could help in the development of new procedures that minimize the revictimization and facilitate the treatment interventions that survivors of sexual offenses need.

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Received: June 19, 2022; Accepted: July 11, 2022

SIN CONFLICTOS DE INTERÉS

Los autores declaran que la presente investigación se llevó a cabo en ausencia de cualquier relación comercial y/o financiera que pudiera considerarse como un potencial conflicto de intereses

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