Noticias

Domestic incest is one of the most hidden and devastating forms of sexual violence against girls, boys and adolescents in Bolivia. A worrying figure; 44% of cases of child sexual violence in the country are committed by family members. Facing this reality, the Behavioral Sciences Research Institute (IICC in spanish) and Save the Children joined forces to carry out an innovative qualitative study that unraveled the family dynamics that perpetuate this crime and proposed routes to prevent and address it.

The study, presented at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) 2024 Global Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, was based on the life stories of 27 incest survivors in Bolivia. Through in-depth interviews and artistic tools, patterns were identified such as the pressure to maintain an image of a “functional family”, and the influence of figures of high social status that reinforce silence. Furthermore, factors such as fear, shame, and guilt paralyze both victims and their families, perpetuating secrecy and making it difficult to seek justice.

An encouraging finding was that families who decided to prioritize victims’ safety over secrecy, managed to transform these stories of pain. This underscores the urgency of working on strategies that empower families and communities to break the cycle of violence.

The SVRI 2024 conference, with more than 1.700 participants from 111 countries, highlighted the relevance of this study. The need for legal reforms was emphasized, such as the specific classification of the crime of incest in Bolivia and the promotion of the warning and comprehensive protection culture.

This alliance between Save the Children and the IICC reinforces the commitment to a society where children and adolescents live free of violence. This joint effort marks a crucial step to make intrafamilial incest visible, raise awareness in society and strengthen responses at the community and State levels.

Link to the full study:

https://www.iicc.ucb.edu.bo/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Trazando-el-camino-hacia-la-revelacion-1.pdf

Author: Marcela Losantos Velasco, Behavioral Sciences Research Institute Coordinator of the Bolivian Catholic University “San Pablo”