Sexual violence against children and adolescents: analysis in peripheral contexts in the metropolis of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract Background Although sexual violence against children and adolescents is a global public health imperative, its manifestation in Brazil reveals a critical gap between international protocols and the socioeconomic complexity of urban peripheries. The present study aimed to analyze the characteristics of sexual violence against children and adolescents living in the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil. Method A cross-sectional study with data from mandatory reports of sexual violence, extracted from the mandatory notification forms of the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), occurring between 2016 and 2024. The sample consisted of victims aged between 1 and 17 years, residing in 23 administrative districts considered to be on the outskirts of the city of São Paulo. Univariate statistical analysis and the chi-square test were applied to verify possible relationships between types of violence and variables with a significance level of 5% (alpha = 0.05). A total of 21,576 cases of sexual violence were identified during the period outlined. Female victims were most common, concentrated in the 11–14 age group. Rape was the most prevalent type of violence, accounting for 87.8% of cases involving female victims and 85.5% of cases involving male victims. Results The home was the most frequent location for these types of violence. Sexual harassment, in particular, occurred mainly at home (76.6%) and at school (84.7%). The likely perpetrator was predominantly male. The home was the most frequent location for these types of violence. Sexual harassment, in particular, occurred mainly at home (76.6%) and at school (84.7%). The likely perpetrator was predominantly male and in the adult age group (25–59 years). The father was the most frequent perpetrator of sexual harassment (80.8%), and the boyfriend/intimate partner was the most frequent perpetrator of rape (71.9%) in cases involving a relationship. Rape was reported in 92.7% of cases involving pregnant women. Victims with disabilities suffered more sexual harassment (69.3%) than rape (23.8%). The predominant motive was sexism. Suspicious alcohol consumption by the perpetrator was a trend in rape cases. Conclusions The study indicates that the types of sexual violence in the outskirts of São Paulo are marked by a predominance of younger female adolescent victims and a high prevalence of rape within the family environment. The findings reinforce the urgency of interventions to identify forms of sexual violence in public health services to ensure the comprehensive protection of this doubly vulnerable group. The high number of blank or incomplete fields in the notification forms suggests a need for training and awareness among the professionals who fill them out.