Breaking the Silence Campaign strengthens family care in the pandemic

The analysis of recent reports released by various bodies for the protection and defense of human rights around the world brings an observation: the number of crimes of abuse and violence within the family environment grew during the pandemic. This increase is attributed to the fact that, with the isolation measures that were put in place, victims and aggressors began to live under the same roof for longer. It should also be considered that these same restrictive measures made it more difficult for victims to access police stations and other assistance bodies, which could contribute to the underreporting of cases of aggression.

Another statistic that stands out in the pandemic scenario is related to mental health. According to researchers, reduced social interaction, increased stress in the family, material and immaterial losses and the limitation of certain activities are among the main reasons for the increase and worsening of cases of depression, anxiety and other emotional disorders.

Family Care

Seeking to contribute solutions to the problem, this year's Breaking the Silence campaign focuses on the issues caused or aggravated by the pandemic in the domestic environment. The campaign focuses on different forms of outreach, ranging from free lectures and consultations with professionals in the fields of law, psychology, and social assistance, to the distribution of materials with educational content.

According to the coordinator of the project in eight South American countries, Jeanete Lima, the main objective of this movement is prevention. “We understand that someone who has information can protect themselves from possible abuse. We also seek to provide support to victims. This is not so simple, but we have the Friend Listening, which is an online channel with professionals prepared to listen to the victims, and we have partnerships with public bodies, to which we refer the neediest cases." 

Among the materials to be distributed to the community are magazines aimed at different age groups. The version for the adult audience, for example, brings together articles written by experts in various areas, which address topics such as signs of abuse in relationships, methods to help a victim of violence, evidence of sexual abuse in children, ways of prevention, family as a diffuser of respect and values, etc. For teenagers, there is a magazine covering similar themes in contextualized language, and yet another version, in the form of comics, takes this content to children. Flyers are also available that summarize the main information of the journals. All of these materials are produced in Portuguese and Spanish. Its digital versions, as well as details about the project and other support materials, are available on the website quebrandoosilencio.org.

A new feature of this year's campaign is the production of a podcast series in which specialists discuss the topic of domestic violence in its various spheres and propose alternatives to fight it. The program is available on 7Cast and some major audio platforms.

Violence Against Women

Also within the general objective of the campaign, in some regions of the territory, the issue of violence against women followed by death will be addressed more specifically. According to a 2018 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 20% of homicides in the world occur within the family circle. Of this total, 64% of victims are women, and when it comes to crimes committed by partners and spouses, they correspond to 82% of victims. It must also be considered that these deaths almost always come from a cycle of aggression (physical or not), which shows the dimension of the problem of domestic violence. 

In this sense, the approach of the Breaking the Silence campaign has, first, a preventive purpose, in addition to supporting and presenting paths for the recovery of those who bear the marks of violence.

The Campaign

Created in 2002, the project Breaking the Silence aims to combat and prevent various types of addiction, abuse, and violence. It is promoted annually by the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world, albeit with different methodologies and themes, defined according to the reality of each region of the planet.

In 2021, August 28th was chosen as the date to promote the campaign in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. However, the campaign extends throughout the year, considering that the demands addressed are not restricted to a specific period.

In recognition of its relevance and social contribution, several Brazilian states have included a date to highlight the campaign in their official calendars.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site