The under-reporting of cases of violence against women as a reflection of disbelief in competent institutions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12662/2447-6641oj.v24i45.5927.pe5927.2026

Keywords:

underreporting, gender, domestic violence, public security, citizenship

Abstract

Contextualization: Recent research has revealed a steady increase in all forms of violence against women, especially in contexts marked by one or more vulnerability factors. However, a considerable percentage of women who are victims of domestic and family violence do not seek out public security authorities responsible for specialized assistance. This indicates that the weak coordination of this support network by public institutions remains a challenge to the full consolidation of the Maria da Penha Law, the main national legal framework currently in force in Brazil aimed at protecting women and preventing all forms of violence.

Objective: To discuss the underreporting of violence perpetrated against women in Brazil in order to understand, on the one hand, how distrust in institutions affects this phenomenon and, on the other, how the application of a gender perspective may contribute to improved enforcement of women’s protection laws and to the effective prevention of one of the most pressing issues of violence in public security within the Brazilian context.

Method: This article adopts a bibliographic review method focusing on the organization of public security in relation to domestic and family violence against women, as well as on feminist legal theories.

Results: The study concludes that there is a significant distrust in official public security institutions that deal directly with the multiple forms of domestic and family violence against women. This factor cannot be disregarded in reflections within the field of public security or in the development of public policies aimed at protecting women within the constitutional framework of citizenship.

Contributions: From the perspective of citizen security, this study contributes to understanding the phenomenon of underreporting of domestic and family violence against women in Brazil as a possible reflection of the lack of trust in the institutional public security apparatus responsible for providing assistance and, at least in theory, welcoming women who experience one or more forms of violence within domestic and family settings.

Author Biographies

Humberto Barrionuevo Fabretti, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie

Doutor e Mestre em Direito Político e Econômico pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Graduado pela Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Professor de Graduação da Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Professor Pesquisador Permanente do Programa de Mestrado e Doutorado em Direito Político e Econômico da Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Pesquisador Líder do Grupo de Pesquisa (CNPq) “Segurança Pública e Cidadania”. Realiza estágio pós-doutoral em Teoria do Estado na Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Advogado Criminalista. São Paulo, SP, BR.

Juliana Santos Garcia, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie

Doutoranda e Mestra em Direito Político e Econômico pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Graduada em Direito pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Pesquisadora dos Grupos de Pesquisa: Mulher, Sociedade e Direitos Humanos; e Segurança Pública e Cidadania, ambos da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Professora de Direito Penal e Processo Penal da Faculdade Nove de Julho. Fundadora do projeto Nós Mulheres. São Paulo, SP, BR.

Beatriz dos Santos Funcia, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie

Doutoranda e Mestre em Direito Político e Econômico na Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Especialista em Direito e Processo Penal e graduada em Direito pela mesma instituição. Integrante do Grupo de Pesquisa "Segurança Pública e Cidadania" (CNPq) do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Direito Político e Econômico da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Professora Convidada da Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu em Direito e Processo Penal da Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Coordenadora Adjunta do Grupo de Estudos Avançados de Debates Criminológicos (IBCCRIM/SP). São Paulo, SP, BR.

EM ABERTO

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Published

2026-04-23

How to Cite

FABRETTI, Humberto Barrionuevo; GARCIA, Juliana Santos; FUNCIA, Beatriz dos Santos. The under-reporting of cases of violence against women as a reflection of disbelief in competent institutions. Revista Opinião Jurídica (Fortaleza), Fortaleza, v. 24, n. 45, p. e5927, 2026. DOI: 10.12662/2447-6641oj.v24i45.5927.pe5927.2026. Disponível em: https://periodicos.unichristus.edu.br/opiniaojuridica/article/view/5927. Acesso em: 30 may. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 45 (2026): EM ABERTO

Section

Artigos Originais

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Copyright (c) 2026 Humberto Barrionuevo Fabretti, Juliana Santos Garcia, Beatriz dos Santos Funcia

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