Experiences of police officers from a DEAM in the Southwest of Goiás

Abstract The research investigated the experiences of civil police officers of a Specialized Police Station for Women’s Care (DEAM) in a municipality in the southwestern region of Brazil in the care of women in situations of domestic violence. Based on the qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four police officers, two women and two men. Several difficulties experienced in daily professional life were found, from lack of physical space, employees and time, to the absence of training to meet women. Although they had knowledge about the Maria da Penha’s Law, the participants reproduced sexist and misogynistic gender conceptions that, added to the precariousness of the service, culminated in blaming women in situations of violence. The interviewees pointed out the need to create a Psychology service to support women and the own police officers. In this sense, DEAM workers should be properly trained, and there should be the performance of psychosocial interventions, in order to enhance the role of the police in coping with gender violence.