A critical perspective on institutional violence against hospitalized children: Testimonies by health professionals and family members

• Published in: Nursing inquiry Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. e12665 - n/a
• Main Authors: Santos, Ana Carla Petersen de Oliveira, Camargo, Climene Laura, Vargas, Mara Ambrosina de Oliveira, Araujo, Cristina Nunes Vitor, Whitaker, Maria Carolina Ortiz, Zilli, Francielly, Martins, Ridalva Dias, Gomes, Nadirlene Pereira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-10-2024
• Subjects: Attention deficits; child neglect; child violence; Children; Discourse analysis; Families & family life; hospital; Hospitalization; Hospitalized; humanization of assistance; Inpatient care; Medical personnel; nursery; pediatric nursing; Pediatrics; Power; qualitative; Relatives; Violence; child neglect; nursery; child violence; children; humanization of assistance; qualitative; pediatric nursing; hospital
• ISSN: 1320-7881; 1440-1800; 1440-1800
• DOI: 10.1111/nin.12665

The purpose of this study is to understand institutional violence (IV) in the relationships between health professionals, hospitalized children, and family members. This is a qualitative study developed at the pediatric inpatient unit of a university hospital in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The research participants consisted of 39 health professionals who specialized in pediatrics and 10 family members of hospitalized children. Semi‐structured interviews were the method used for data collection. Using discourse analysis as a basis and taking a Foucauldian perspective, the researchers observed that the expressions of IV could be traced to abusive power relations within the system. We found four discursive forms within the data set: communication problems as IV, violence through inattention and neglect, violence as an action and consequent materialization on the body, and psychological violence as a submission mechanism. Based on these findings, we argue that professionals, managers, the scientific community, and users might be able to better guarantee the safety of children by recognizing IV and effectively intervening in it.