Contradictions in relation to sexual violence in the eyes of adolescents and the disconnect with the law defining “rape of vulnerable individuals”

Abstract: Article 217-A of Brazilian Law n. 12,015/2009 defines carnal knowledge or any other libidinous act with an individual under 14 years of age as “rape of a vulnerable individual” (statutory rape). Given the young average age at sexual initiation in current society, the study aimed to understand the adolescents’ views of sexual initiation, sexual assault, and the law that defines sex at this age as “rape of a vulnerable individual”. The authors used a qualitative approach with 13 focus groups totaling 132 secondary students from public and private schools in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data analysis used the webQDA software with a hermeneutic-dialectic approach that yielded three categories: feeling ready to initiate sexual activity, (in)vulnerability to sexual assault, and protective mechanisms. Girls associated sexual initiation with a romantic vision and feeling safe with and trusting the partner. Boys associated it with opportunity, regardless of other factors. Most of the students felt that when consent to the sexual act is mutual, regardless of age, there is no violence involved. At the same time, they wondered about the possibility of younger girls’ discernment to consent to having sex. Most of these adolescents disagreed with the protective measures established by the law, arguing that it is the family’s duty to provide this care. The contradictions in the adolescents’ views concerning vulnerability to sexual assault and rape of vulnerable individuals as defined by the law lead us to conclude that it is necessary to expand and improve sex education in general for Brazilian adolescents, besides creating spaces for discussion that can help improve these legal provisions.

摘要：巴西第12015/2009号法律第217-A条将与14岁以下个体发生性交或其他猥亵行为定义为“弱势个体强奸罪（法定强奸，statutory rape）”。鉴于当前社会青少年初次性行为的平均年龄偏低，本研究旨在探讨青少年对初次性行为、性侵犯以及将该年龄段性行为定义为“弱势个体强奸罪”的法律的认知。本研究采用质性研究方法，对巴西里约热内卢市公立与私立学校的132名中学生开展13组焦点小组访谈；数据分析依托webQDA软件，结合诠释-辩证研究范式，最终提炼出三大类别：初次性行为的准备心态、性侵犯相关的（非）易感性与保护机制。研究结果显示，女生将初次性行为与浪漫愿景及对伴侣的信任感、安全感相绑定，男生则将初次性行为视为机遇且不受其他因素影响；多数学生认为，只要性行为双方自愿，无论年龄差距均不涉及暴力，但与此同时他们也对低龄女生是否具备性同意的辨识能力表示质疑。大部分青少年不认同该法律设定的保护措施，认为此类保护责任应由家庭承担。青少年群体对性侵犯易感性以及法律定义的“弱势个体强奸罪”的认知存在矛盾，这表明除搭建可助力完善相关法律条款的讨论空间外，还需推广并优化巴西青少年的普及性性教育。