Social representations of the adult LGBTQIAPNb+ population regarding experienced interpersonal violence.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the social representations of the adult LGBTQIAPNb+ population regarding experienced interpersonal violence.

Method: Analytical study with a qualitative approach, held in the municipality of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil, in the year 2023; based on the theoretical-methodological framework of the Theory of Social Representations. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Free Word Association Test, and semi-structured interview guide were applied. In addition to descriptive statistical analysis for participant characterization, the data were submitted to prototypical analysis using IRAMUTEQ® software.

Results: The central core of social representation was strongly associated with fear and suffering, whereas the periphery revealed connections with pain, anguish, and hatred. Furthermore, peripheral elements such as silencing, prejudice, intolerance, and repression were identified in the representations. It was also possible to observe, through class markers, how violence influences the biopsychosocial dimensions of individual's lives, leaving traces from childhood that resonate to the present day. Under these circumstances, psychological violence proved to affect individuals more significantly compared with other forms.

Conclusion: Emotional and psychological impact was directly associated with violence, highlighting the social mechanisms that perpetuate aggression and hinder the search for support and justice among the LGBTQIAPNb+ population.