PREVALÊNCIA E PERCEPÇÕES DE ESTUDANTES SOBRE A VIOLÊNCIA DE GÊNERO EM UMA UNIVERSIDADE PÚBLICA

Abstract

This article systematizes the primary results of a research study aimed at characterizing and estimating the prevalence and students' perceptions of gender-based violence at a multi-campus public university in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Through a descriptive and quantitative study, we examine a reality that has been gaining significant traction in Brazilian academic discourse. The study included 647 students who completed surveys comprising open-ended, closed-ended, and mixed questions. The findings indicate an alarming normalization of gender-based violence within the university environment. The frequent exposure to various forms of violence in classrooms and other campus locations—phenomena that remain "invisible" despite being omnipresent—intensifies the process of academic invisibility and complicates efforts toward prevention and mitigation. Feelings of fear, shame, distrust, and a sense of impunity are prevalent among female students, who report feeling neglected by the institution. Reports of abuse are often poorly received, discouraged, or silenced to preserve the "university's public image." Breaking the silence and addressing the discouragement of reporting gender violence requires challenging the "cultivated ignorance" and the "right not to know" that persist within the university context.