REFLECTIVE GROUPS FOR MEN PERSONS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN BRAZIL: A NEW POLICY?
Name: THIAGO DE CARVALHO GUADALUPE
Publication date: 20/09/2024
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| PAULO VELTEN | Examinador Interno |
Pages
Summary: This study presents findings from an analysis of domestic and family violence against women, drawing on qualitative research about Reflective Groups for Male Perpetrators of Violence (RGMPV). For decades, this issue in Brazil was largely confined to the private sphere, but today, research predominantly focuses on individual behavior— whether that of the male perpetrator or the female victim. This shift highlights the pressing need to understand RGMPVs as a crucial element in policies addressing violence against women. The implementation of these groups was encouraged by Law No. 11,340, dated August 7, 2006 (the Maria da Penha Law), and more notably since 2022, when legislative amendments empowered judges to mandate the direct referral of male perpetrators to these reflective groups upon issuing an emergency protective order. The research methodology, encompassing document analysis and secondary data review, revealed that despite the existence of 312 initiatives across Brazil, identified by a national mapping conducted by CEJUR/CNJ (2021), a consolidated policy for the use of this mechanism remains absent. Moreover, the study's findings suggest that policies incorporating RGMPVs have not yet catalyzed structural changes in gender relations within the context of a capitalist, racist, and patriarchal society. Although RGMPVs are often seen as an alternative to the punitive approach of the criminal justice system, the analysis indicates a continuation of existing practices of penal selectivity and a trend towards punitive measures aimed at controlling these men’s behavior. Ultimately, this approach reflects a neoliberal emphasis on individual responsibility, often at the expense of collective welfare.
