THE IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN CHILDHOOD ON THE EXERCISE OF THE MATERNAL ROLE (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSI) is a serious public health problem, which has gained greater visibility globally since the 1970s. Serious consequences have been identified, such as depression and post-traumatic stress, that affect the normal development of the child and may also be reflected in adulthood. One of the negative effects may be the woman's ability to adequately perform the maternal role. Being a mother is one of the biggest challenges in a woman's life and requires a great capacity for adaptation. This whole process can be hampered when, at the same time, the mother is trying to deal with a childhood trauma. These mothers tend to have high levels of depressive symptoms, stress, anxiety, and less confidence in their maternal skills, which could lead to neglect and abuse. This integrative literature review had as its guiding question: “How does ASI have an impact on the exercise of the maternal role?”. The main objectives were: to identify the effects of ASI; know its impact on the exercise of the maternal role. The methodology used was the PI[C]OD strategy - Participants, Interventions, Comparisons; Results (Outcomes), Study Design (Study Design) for the selection of studies and organization of results. The following scientific databases were used: B-on, Medline, Web of Science and Science Direct. After analyzing the 6 articles included in this review, it was concluded that ASI has a negative impact on mother-child bonding. There is an increased risk for these mothers to physically abuse their children, as a result of the high levels of depression potentiated by the ASI trauma. The remaining results demonstrate that there are other factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics and the experience of other adversities, which, statistically, end up having a more significant impact on the exercise of the maternal role than the history of ASI.