https://doi.org/10.15329/2318-0498.19163
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

 

Treatment to adult perpetrators of intrafamilial sexual abuse in Brazil: psychodrama as strategy

 

Atendimento ao adulto autor de violência sexual intrafamiliar no Brasil: psicodrama como estratégia

 

Cuidado al autor adulto de abuso sexual intrafamiliar en Brasil: psicodrama como estratégia

 

 

Liana Fortunato Costa^1,*; Lana dos Santos Wolff²; Andrea Schettino Tavares¹; Raiane Nunes Nogueira¹; Marlene Magnabosco Marra¹

¹.Universidade de Brasília - Instituto de Psicologia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia Clínica e Cultura - Brasília (DF), Brasil.
².Secretaria de Estado de Saúde - Programa de Pesquisa, Assistência e Vigilância à Violência - Brasília (DF), Brasil.

 

 

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ABSTRACT

The Brazilian policy to combat sexual violence emphasizes the importance of protecting victims, as well as accounting for and taking care of the perpetrator. The aim of this paper is to describe one strategy that is being used to address difficult issues - such as the processes of offenders’ own victimization itself, the expression of sexuality and sexual desire for children - in the context of psychosocial interventions for adult sexual offenders against children and adolescents. The strategies adopted are based on psychodrama techniques, which facilitate the overcoming of emotional obstacles to these issues, creating a playful environment during the intervention, providing conditions for reflection, expression of feelings, decreased tension, and which contribute to integration and group engagement in the tasks. This option avoids a confrontational position and favours the development of empathy.

Keywords: adult sexual offender, sexual offence, psychosocial intervention, psychodrama.

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RESUMO

A política de enfrentamento da violência sexual ressalta a proteção das vítimas e a responsabilização e atendimento ao autor da violência. O objetivo deste texto é descrever estratégias para abordar temas difíceis - como a própria vitimização, a expressão da sexualidade e o desejo sexual por crianças -, em uma intervenção psicossocial para adultos autores de ofensa sexual contra crianças e adolescentes. As estratégias adotadas baseiam-se em técnicas do Psicodrama, pois facilitam a superação dos obstáculos emocionais diante destes conteúdos, criando-se um ambiente lúdico durante a intervenção, proporcionando condições para reflexão, expressão dos sentimentos, diminuição da tensão, além de contribuir para integração e engajamento grupal nas tarefas. Esta opção evita uma posição de confrontação e favorece a presença de empatia.

Palavras-chave: ofensor sexual adulto, ofensa sexual, intervenção psicossocial, psicodrama.

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RESUMEN

La política para combatir la violencia sexual enfatiza la protección de las víctimas y la responsabilidad y cuidado del perpetrador. El propósito de este trabajo es describir estrategias para abordar temas difíciles - como la victimización en sí, la expresión de la sexualidad y el deseo sexual por los niños -, en una intervención psicosocial para autores adultos de delitos sexuales contra niños y adolescentes. Las estrategias adoptadas se basan en técnicas de psicodrama, ya que facilita la superación de los obstáculos emocionales frente a estos contenidos, creando un ambiente lúdico durante la intervención, proporcionando condiciones para la reflexión, expresión de sentimientos, reducción de la tensión, además de contribuir a la integración y participación grupal en las tareas. Esta opción evita una posición de confrontación y favorece la presencia de empatía.

Palabras-clave: delincuente sexual en adultos, delito sexual, intervención psicosocial, psicodrama.

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to describe group psychosocial interventions aimed at supporting male adult perpetrators of sexual violence against family members. The interventions place their emphasis on three topics, considered by Marshall (2001), Manderville-Norden and Beech (2006) and Winder (2017) to be essential for inclusion in any therapeutic action with regard to this demographic, especially intrafamilial sexual offenders. These three topics are: violence suffered and practiced by the sexual offenders themselves; the expression of sexuality; and the recognition that sexual violence is a crime.

Coping with sexual violence against children and adolescents demands action on two fronts: accountability for justice and specific health interventions directed at perpetrators of violence (Marshall, 2007). It is important to note that these men are considered to be human beings and, therefore, violent action is only a part of their subjective constitution. Thus, intervention for cases of sexual violence demands legal prosecution, accountability, and therapeutic care (Passarela et al., 2017).

In this sense, the Brazilian national plan to combat sexual violence (Plano Nacional de Enfrentamento da Violência Sexual - Brazil, 2013) reaffirms the commitment of the Brazilian government to defend children and adolescents from sexual crimes and to hold the perpetrators responsible for these acts of violence. In addition, the document also attests to the state’s commitment to ensuring special care for perpetrators of sexual violence. Regarding adult males, Brazil elaborated a national policy pledging attention to men’s health (Política Nacional de Atenção à Saúde do Homem - Brazil, 2008), which certifies health as a basic social and citizenship right for all Brazilian men. It is important to highlight that sexual violence toward children and adolescents occurs in the midst of a strongly patriarchal and adult-centric Brazilian society (Passarela et al., 2017). However, policies developed actions aimed at men are still incipient, and Brazil is very much in a deficit situation with the issue of sexual violence against children, adolescents, and women.

 

CONTEXTUALIZATION OF CONFRONTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN Brazil

A document issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Health called Epidemiological Analysis of Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents in Brazil (Análise Epidemiológica da Violência Sexual Contra Crianças e Adolescentes no Brasil, Ministério da Saúde, 2018) shows that, between the years 2011 and 2017, 184.524 cases of sexual violence were registered. Of these, 58.037 (31,5%) were against children and 83.068 (45,0%) were against adolescents. Most of these are recorded as occurring at the victim’s residence (69,2%) and 4,6% at school. Regarding the offender’s connection to the victim, 37% were family members, 27,6% were friends or acquaintances and 6,5% were unknown, indicating that most of the sexual violence practiced in Brazil is of an intrafamilial nature.

On the other hand, it is observed that there are no official data on the number of adult or adolescent perpetrators of sexual violence (Penso et al., 2016; Wolff et al., 2016). It is only possible to infer this number from the data contained in the report of the National Prison Information Survey (Levantamento Nacional de Informações Penitenciárias do Brasil - InfoPen). According to the figures, of the 620,583 prisoners in Brazil, 11,609 individuals were arrested on rape charges and 6,072 on rape of vulnerable people (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública, 2017). In 2018 reports from a hotline for child abuse (Disque 100) (Brazil, 2018) presented data on the complaints that occurred in 2017. There were 20,330 occurrences of sexual violence, most of which occurred intrafamilial. Therefore, the most common place of occurrence was the victim’s residence, which in many cases was also the perpetrator’s residence.

In spite of several efforts made by different segments of society in the struggle to establish less sexist and disrespectful parameters in relation to women, children, and adolescents, it is important to point out some cultural issues that remain in Brazilian society. The parameters still in force dictate a superior hierarchical position occupied by men in relation to women; the value of masculine virility is generally accepted and positively expressed socially, within the family and within intimate relationships; as well as behaviours that signal and maintain domination, including the normalized use of violence by men as a way to obtain submission of women, and of children and adolescents by adults (Zanello, 2018). Thus, any comment on the subject of sexual violence - or on submissive/dominant relations within or outside the family environment - should consider the inclusion of gender as a necessary bias to build knowledge, dissemination and technical guidance (Beiras & Nascimento, 2017; Meneses et al., 2016; Wolff et al., 2016).

With the 1988 Federal Constitution of Brazil (Brazil, 1988) there was a paradigm shift from the view of the child as an object to the child as a subject with rights. Before, sexual violence against them was veiled and little on the topic was discussed or addressed by public policies. Thus, the Child and Adolescent Statute (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente - ECA, Brazil, 1990) affirmed the sexual and fundamental rights of children and adolescents and recognised that this population is particularly vulnerable regarding the stage of development, therefore, an absolute priority. The ECA also affirmed the shared responsibility of government, society, and family to guarantee a dignified, healthy, and protected childhood and adolescence. Brazil was the first country to declare a legal framework to guarantee these rights, which resulted in the creation of a specific justice and security system for this group: the Childhood and Youth Court (Juizado da Infância e Juventude), alongside specialized police stations and centres both to assist victims and to charge perpetrators of violence (Brazil, 2013).

Since 2000, Brazil has been consolidating public policies to protect children and adolescents through the National Council on the Rights of Children and Adolescents. Thus, in 2007, Brazil committed to prioritizing the fight against childhood and adolescent sexual abuse through the Inter-sectoral Commission to Combat Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents (Comissão Intersetorial de Enfrentamento da Violência Sexual contra Crianças e Adolescentes) by means of public policies and actions. Moreover, the National Plan for Combating Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents (Brazil, 2013) was elaborated, whose strategic axes are: situational analysis, mobilization and articulation, defence and accountability, attendance, prevention and children and adolescents as protagonists.

The Brazilian Penal Code, Decree-Law No. 2,848/40 (Brazil, 1940) defines, under the chapter on crimes against sexual dignity, the crime of rape as the practice of carnal conjunction or other libidinous acts, by means of violence or threat, in a manner that causes embarrassment. The sentence for this type of crime is imprisonment for 6 to 10 years. The law includes the category of the rape of vulnerable persons, which occurs when the victim is a person under 14 years of age. In this case, the severity of the sentence is greater - imprisonment for 8 to 15 years. With an aggravating factor, such as personal injury, the sentence increases to imprisonment for 10 to 20 years and, if the act results in death, the perpetrator could face up to 30 years in prison. Other crimes are also categorized, such as crimes against sexual freedom, the corruption of minors, facilitation of prostitution, and sexual exploitation.

 

THE ADULT PERPETRATOR OF SEXUAL INTRAFAMILIAL VIOLENCE

The perpetrator of sexual violence against children and adolescents is not necessarily a paedophile (Seto, 2009). For this reason, it is currently recommended that, among adult sexual offenders, those who possess indicators of paedophilic interest are identified (Seto, 2012). Paedophilic interest is the expression of a preferential interest in children, for the intention or purpose of achieving or maintaining sexual contact, which may turn into action or persist in recurring fantasies (Gee et al., 2004; Marshall, 2007; Seto, 2012). Extrafamilial and intrafamilial sexual violence are equally intrusive and injurious to the physical and mental health status of their victims. Intrafamilial sexual violence can inflict more severe damage to the victims because it is restricted to the home and the family, and because it can continue for longer periods without interruption (Bogaerts et al., 2010; Finkelhor et al., 2009). Many myths and secrets that enable sexual violence within the family remain long hidden, offering possibilities for sexual revictimization and causing greater harm to their victims (Moyano & Sierra, 2015).

The occurrence of intrafamilial sexual abuse indicates a higher probability that the family will maintain a more closed interactive dynamic, and that its members will be more elusive and isolated. Perpetrators of intrafamilial sexual abuse may have a more aggressive or more seductive approach, but the more problematic issue is that they are within the family’s borders, making the environment highly insecure. Family relations involve the maintenance of trust relationships between caretaking adults and children/adolescents taken care of. Thus, the presence of a perpetrator of sexual abuse in the family environment constitutes an opportunity for victim domination and submission and the continuity of abusive practices. (Bogaerts et al., 2010; Worley et al., 2011).

In the Federal District of Brazil - more specifically, in Brasilia (the capital of Brazil) - Penso et al. (2016) profiled the adult perpetrator of sexual violence who was served in the violence care program PAV (Programa de Pesquisa, Assistência e Vigilância à Violência). The perpetrators covered by this program were summarized as follows: brown or black majority; aged between 20-60 years; belonging to a low-income socioeconomic group; with low levels of schooling; self-employed or engaged in informal activities. Most lived on the outskirts of the city. These data mirror the general conditions of the prison population in the Brazilian national context described by InfoPen, although a larger contingent of prisoners belong to the low-income class. Most convicts who are referred to the program have received a penalty of eight years, in cases where no aggravating circumstance or other type of violence is found to be present during the sexual abuse. If these convicts maintain good behaviour while imprisoned, they are given a sentence reduction. Thus, after serving the sentence, perpetrators of sexual violence return to their residences and families, or establish new family ties, returning to live with the victims or with other children and adolescents. The situation of vulnerability of this family reorganization is recognized.

 

GROUP PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION

Studies on therapeutic care show a decreased likelihood of sex crime recidivism when offenders take part in therapeutic activities (Geiger & Fischer, 2017; Leclerc & Cale, 2015; Marshall, 2001, 2007; SOMAPI, 2015). While one cannot speak of therapeutic care as a deterrent to recurrence of sexual abuse, studies (Howells & Day, 1999; Holland & Pointon, 2007; Marshall, 2007) show that when the sexual offender receives some type of treatment, there is an increased likelihood of non-recidivism in relation to the offender who does not receive treatment. On average, relapse into criminal behaviour can be said to decrease by 10% to 20% compared to the untreated sex offender. This difference may seem small, but it is still a positive outcome and vindicates the strategy of facilitating reflection by the offender on the violent act committed (Marshall, 2018).

These activities can be provided individually or in a group (Marshall, 2007). Group service allows a therapeutic reach that must be guided by defined objectives, with previous evaluation of the participants. It is important that group members possess similar characteristics with respect to the violent sexual act practiced in order to avoid under or overtreating different participants (Marshall, 2001, 2007).

The contribution that the PAV program offers to the modalities of group therapy consists of a playful facilitated environment, which is fundamental for the engagement of the subjects in the drama. For this, two psychodrama instruments are applied: the "as if" dimension and "intermediary objects" (Moreno, 1993), both of these encourage individual and group transformations through group protagonism, creativity and spontaneity (Moreno, 1972). The use of psychodrama resources allows for
change through dramatic performance, without the need for excessive verbalization on the part of the participants (Wolff et al., 2016), which justifies and corroborates the use of psychodrama techniques in sessions that deal with difficult issues, as they facilitate management and participation by group members (Hollander & Craig, 2013). Marshall (2007) points out that addressing a topic in deeply addressing issues related to the criminal sex behaviour provides an opportunity for reflection on violent behaviour, and that this can be achieved through non-verbal behaviour. Likewise, Bermúdez (1968) understands that speech is not essential, or should not be considered the sole or primary means of expression, and that perception of the meanings present in dialogue can be emphasized by dramatic performance.

The psychodrama resource of the "intermediary object" allows participants to warm up for the activities developed throughout the group process, fostering readiness for reflection (Moreno, 1983). Various props (cushions, toys, workplace materials, scrap material) can be used as intermediary objects to facilitate expression of participants’ thoughts and feelings, reducing stress and creating a more relaxed environment. The other psychodrama resource, the "as if" dimension, allows participants to experience situations and participate in activities through bodily representations, taking on social, family, and other roles. It is "as if" they themselves are not speaking or dramatizing, but rather the character they are role playing is doing the speaking; therefore, the emotions and feelings are lived with less embarrassment because it is "just a play session" (Moreno, 1972). The presence of these two resources allows the contacts between team and participants to be permeated by empathy, a fundamental aspect for mediating relationships in this context (Marshall, 2007; Moyano & Sierra, 2015; Mudry et al, 2018).

The following sections of this article provide a report on the psychosocial care that was delivered on behalf of an adult perpetrator of intrafamilial sexual violence, carried out in a public health institution in Brazil. This work presents an initiative providing assistance to this category of offender, that seeks to overcome prejudice and rejection, and that indicates psychodrama as an innovative methodological strategy of great utility.

 

THE PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION METHOD

This report is based on the records of the sessions of a psychosocial intervention group that occurred in the second half of 2018 in the institution already mentioned. Participants included adults that committed intrafamilial sexual violence against children and adolescents and who had already served their sentences (closed system), or were still serving their sentences (semi-open system). Participants were referred by the Criminal Execution Court (Vara de Execuções Penais - VEP), by the Open System Execution Court (Vara de Execuções das Penas em Regime Aberto - VEPERA), and by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Participants served their sentences in the closed regime, in the semi-open, or according to a legal agreement.

The flow of care indicates that, first, these subjects are evaluated in interviews with a psychologist, a social worker, and a psychiatrist. The interviews are conducted individually and with the family. It is only after this process that the group service begins. Subjects who are considered unsuitable for the group (due to their pathology) are treated individually. The group service is performed in eight two-hour meetings with about 15 to 18 participants. Each session has a theme, namely: group integration, stigma, personal suffering due to suffered and practiced violence, expression of sexuality, gender relations, risk and protection thoughts, sexual desire for children and adolescents, and reconstruction for the future. The methodological framework and innovative theory behind the program is already available in Meneses et al. (2016), Conceição et al. (2018) and Penso et al. (2018).

The group meeting is a psychosocial intervention based on psychodrama. The psychodrama session is divided into three stages: warm-up, dramatization, and sharing. The purpose of the warm-up stage is to integrate the members of the group and bring them closer to the content to be explored in more depth; dramatization seeks to create a space for the emergence of spontaneity so that identification with social and family roles can be expressed; and the final step provides an opportunity for all participants to exchange their experiences and to develop, it is hoped, an of understanding themselves and their actions (Moreno, 1993). However, the intervention prioritizes group content, interactions and the relational and procedural dynamics of the group. Therefore, it is considered that this intervention follows a general methodological orientation of Sociodrama (Moreno, 1983, 1993).

In the second half of 2018, the group initially had eight adults, who met for eight sessions, from August to November. The group intervention took place in a room where participants could perform activities standing or sitting in a circular arrangement. The team that coordinated the group was composed of a male psychologist, a female psychologist, and two female social workers. Two female observing psychologists (graduate students) who took notes during all the meetings were also part of the team. On a bi-weekly basis, the team met with two supervisory psychologists (postgraduate professors from a public university) who were responsible for a research partnership between the program and the academy.    

 

THREE PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION MEETINGS AND THEIR FAMILY-RELATED THEMES

The criterion adopted for choosing the description of the themes that are developed in the sessions described in this text is the "dreaded scene" concept. This concept was created by the Argentine School of Psychodrama and is defined by the formal expression of the psychic aspect that is most feared by the participant of a psychodrama, which supplies content that can provide an advance in the understanding of the conflicts. The "dreaded scenes" need to be clarified or revisited because they are situations, facts or feelings that interfere with the participants’ reflection process (Bermúdez, 1968; Menegazzo et al., 1995). For this reason and to exemplify how these contents can be developed, three sessions from the intervention being discussed were chosen, whose themes address dreaded scenes: the violence suffered and perpetrated in the offender’s own lifetime; reflection on one’s own sexuality; and sexual desire for children and/or adolescents. The content of these three sessions was directly linked to the family relationship of the adult perpetrator of sexual violence and his return home after serving his sentence.

 

Violence suffered and perpetrated in their own lives

The object of the development of this content was to enable participants to come into contact with the suffering coming from the various forms of violence suffered during their lifetime (physical, emotional, psychological, sexual), recognizing their suffering and the suffering of others (especially their victims). Session planning was as follows. 1) Non-specific warm-up: the group participants did a self-massage. Then, participants were asked to walk around the room, looking at each other, feeling their own breath, noticing whether or not they felt any pain. 2) Specific warm-up: while participants were still walking, they were asked to choose a person and to form a pair, and then were asked to follow the coordinator’s directions to role-playing. Each pair should represent complementary roles, or opposite units, for example: adult vs child; strong vs vulnerable; large vs small; fighting vs conciliation; perpetrator vs victim; violence vs peace; suffering vs relief, etc. 3) Development of the theme of the day: participants sat on the floor in a circle and chose figures (from pictures, magazine clippings, etc.) that would remind them of any suffering caused by violence that they experienced in their childhood or adolescence. Then, participants gathered in smaller circles with those who chose similar images, which they could talk about: what the image represents; what each one saw in the image; why the image was chosen; what feelings the images evoke; how much of this violence ‘is in me’. Finally, they were able to share their stories in the larger group of violence suffered based on the chosen pictures. Then, the participants tried to decide: which story was most impactful, which story evoked more emotion? The next step was to choose a single story, which would be the story of the group, and from which a scene would be created, which would bring together all the stories and represent the overall story of the group.

Then the participants chose which roles they wanted to play in the scene. To facilitate the expression of the chosen role, each participant received a label indicating their choices. We sought to compose the scene so that victimizers and victims were represented. The question at this point was not the performance requirements of the actors, but rather to create conditions so that spontaneity could arise, and participants could perceive their identification with certain attitudes and characteristics of violence. 4) Closing session: At the end of the scene, participants were asked how they felt about playing the chosen roles. "Did I suffer or cause suffering?" "Did I injure someone or was I injured?" "How about the power relations between the adult and the child? How does the child feel when suffering violence?" "What was the failure to prevent the violence from happening?" "Who could the child have asked for help?" These were some of the guiding questions of the final phase of the discussion for the closure of the session. 5) After the closing, everyone participated in a ritual that sought to concretize (and to give a symbolic experience to) the theme of the day. In this session, all participants received a piece of blank paper on which they could write the violence they had suffered, crumple these pieces of paper, and throw them away in the trash.

 

REFLECTION ON THEIR OWN SEXUALITY

The objectives of this theme were: to enable reflection on one’s own sexuality, differentiating it from the expression of sexual violence in order to promote the exercise of sexuality with self-care and respect for other people’s boundaries. Session planning was as follows. 1) Non-specific warm-up: initially the group worked individually, and participants were instructed to try to stretch, recognizing where tension was felt in the body. Instructors encouraged participants to talk about how they were feeling.
2) Specific warm-up: participants were invited to talk about pleasant activities, about which, it is often found, some are ashamed to speak and others, on the contrary, like to comment. Everyone walked around saying words that are used to indicate sexuality, for example, how men refer to their own sexuality, or how women do it. The team actively participated in bringing words that indicated various aspects of sexuality, revealing ambivalences (liking to speak/not liking to speak, not talking about sexuality in the treatment environment/speaking in the presence of women/women talking about sexuality). 3) Development of the theme of the day: divided into subgroups, participants chose, among some images made available in the room, the figure of a man and talked about this picture. Then, participants were invited to make up several smaller groups, in which they would imagine a male character who was supposed to describe his first sexual intercourse. Some questions to elicit interaction included: What was taught to this man about sexuality? With whom did he learn to become a man? How did he react to this first experience? What did he retain from everything he learned about sexuality? From these questions about that imaginary character, they proceeded to a conversation about the similarities and differences of the character’s story with their true stories. At that point, participants were supposed to talk about themselves, reflecting on beliefs, prejudices, and received orientations about sexuality and what it means to be a man. Some guiding questions included: What did I find out about myself in the character I played in the scene? In general, what did I find about myself in the story? 4) Closing session: After the personal reflection, participants were prompted again to talk to each other about what is necessary so that one can express sexuality in a full and healthy way. Questions used to guide discussion were: What are the boundaries to express sexuality without harming others? What is the impact that accountability for a sexual offence brings to the expression of sexuality? What conversation do I have to keep up with myself, permanently, so that I do not sexually re-offend? 5) After the closing session, everyone participated in the ritual on the theme of the day. In this case, the ritual was an imaginary conversation with themselves about the challenge of expressing one’s own sexuality with adequacy and respect.

 

SEXUAL DESIRE FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

The goal of this theme was for participants to recognize that we all live in society and that there are rules governing relationships, especially rules about relationships between sexually mature and immature individuals. The planning of the session was as follows. 1) Non-specific warm-up: everyone was invited to walk around the room, watching their feet as they walked. The following prompts were provided: feel your feet touching the ground and when they are lifted up, notice if you feel any pain or discomfort, feel if the shoe is tight or comfortable. And, as they walked, participants were invited to try to walk faster, or to see if they wanted to walk more slowly, to see what movements they would have to do differently in order to be able to walk faster or slower. They were also invited to try to walk very slowly and realize how their bodies reacted to this experience. As another option, they were also encouraged to walk at their own pace. 2) Specific warm-up: gradually they were introduced to a reflection on walking in real life, on the obstacles they encounter in their paths, and how they would manage to overcome these obstacles. The metaphor on this day was "the stones in my path". 3) Development of the theme of the day: this stage began with small talk aimed at creating a sense of belonging in all participants toward the work proposal of the program.

Everyone here has been referred because they have engaged in sexual violence. It may be that you understand differently what happened, but you are all the same in relation to the lived experiences of difficulty in containing your sexual urges and desires. When one cannot control this impulse, one needs to ask for help.

This initial speech offered a smooth transition to an invitation for participants to form pairs and talk about the problems they have faced in family relationships and their expression of sexuality. The conversation in pairs would provide material to build a fictional story about a male character who has sexual desire for children. From the stories that emerged in the conversation of each pair, a general story was composed that would be staged next. The different roles that were part of the story were spontaneously chosen by each participant. The provocative questions that guided the conversation about the scene were: What kind of help do you need to control yourself? Who from? If, at any moment, you notice that you feel attraction to children or adolescents, who can you ask for help? Or, do you believe it is not possible to get help for this kind of problem? How can PAV become a source of support in this regard? 4) Closure of the session: this topic required a psycho-educational closure regarding the inclusion of objective information on legislative changes (indicated in the initial part of the text), recognizing that most participants do not have correct or current knowledge.

 

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Although there are other initiatives of this nature in Brazil, we must recognize the efforts made by the group of professionals dedicated to consolidating this experiment. The choice of the methodological strategy of psychodrama constitutes a resource and, at the same time, a strategy that may be effective in the face of the impasse that exists regarding the question of how to structure a proposed intervention designed for recipients that come from a very sexist and prejudiced society, with little or no schooling. In this sense, psychodrama also offers a possibility for facilitating group construction. As a methodological approach, there is still a need for specific training and team training. We found a possible and extremely fruitful academic partnership for permanent reflection on the topic, for research in partnership and for dissemination of the results achieved. Finally, we would like to highlight that developing a structured system of care for the adult sexual offender who committed violence against children and adolescents in an intrafamilial scenario is part of the circuit of protection for children and youth and is of great interest to family therapists.

 

AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTION

All the authors contributed equally for this paper.

 

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Costa LF https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7473-1362

Wolff LS https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0167-0893

Tavares AS https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4582-0526

Nogueira RN https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9127-3482

Marra MM https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4353-5676

 

 

*Corresponding author: lianaf@terra.com.br
Received: 15 Oct 2019 - Accepted: 14 Feb 2020
Section editor: Scott Giacomucci