Special Issue Call for Papers 1/2026 - Thematic Dossier – Bilingual Publication Intrafamilial Violence: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Dynamics of Suffering, Trauma, and Resilience (Intersectional Approaches)
This dossier aims to establish a qualified academic space for scientific production addressing the multiple manifestations of violence within the family context. Considering the family as a microsocial system that projects its members into the macrosocial sphere, this initiative seeks to respond to contemporary social demands faced by professionals, researchers, educators, and practitioners working with families, with the goal of promoting systemic impact on collective relational dynamics.
DOXA: Brazilian Journal of Psychology and Education (Qualis A4), affiliated with the School of Sciences and Letters of Araraquara (FCLAr/UNESP) – NUSEX Research Group, invites submissions for a timely and critical reflection at the intersection of human suffering and the production of rigorous scholarly knowledge.
Guest Editor / CuratorResponsible for thematic selection, coordination with invited authors, and organization of the section.
Prof. Luciana Ferreira, M.A. (CRP 06/70528/SP)
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP)
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2974-1377
Doctoral candidate and researcher in Clinical Psychology, with a focus on childhood sexual violence and its impact on women’s adult lives. She holds a Master’s degree from the same institution, with research centered on mother–daughter conflicts in contexts of domestic violence. Specialist in family and couples therapy (PUC-SP), with research on parental violence and its effects on identity formation in children.
Her clinical practice is grounded in an intergenerational and systemic approach, integrating narrative, constructivist, and social constructionist perspectives, with emphasis on intrafamilial violence, child sexual abuse, trauma, and affective bonds. She has clinical experience in treating individuals with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) related to developmental trauma, including sexual, psychological, and physical violence, as well as neglect, and their long-term impacts on adult men and women.
Proposed Timeline Stage Date Call Launch February 20, 2026 Submission Deadline April 30, 2026 Peer Review Process May 1–30, 2026 Publication of the Dossier By August 30, 2026Submission guidelines:
https://periodicos.fclar.unesp.br/doxa/about/submissions
(30–40% of references must have been published within the last four years.)
Objectives-
To stimulate interdisciplinary approaches to intrafamilial violence;
-
To promote critical reflection on existing legal frameworks and public policies;
-
To map psychological, social, and symbolic impacts of family-related trauma;
-
To provide space for marginalized voices and decolonial perspectives;
-
To analyze processes of resilience-building in contexts of prolonged suffering.
This thematic dossier seeks to gather interdisciplinary contributions that critically examine the multiple expressions of violence within family environments, including their psychological, social, legal, and spiritual consequences, as well as the mechanisms of coping and recovery developed by individuals and communities.
The relevance of this topic lies in the urgency of deepening academic debate on the role of institutions — such as the State, educational systems, the judiciary, and public health services — in ensuring victim visibility, perpetrator accountability, and the strengthening of care and protection mechanisms.
Particular attention will be given to the specific vulnerabilities affecting women, children, older adults, LGBTQIAPN+ individuals, and persons with disabilities, through an intersectional analytical lens.
Thematic Axes (Suggested Topics)-
Subtypes of domestic and family violence
-
Parental violence against children and adolescents
-
Intimate partner violence
-
Violence against women in domestic contexts
-
Violence against men in domestic contexts
-
Violence against LGBTQIAPN+ populations
-
Religious or spiritually-based intrafamilial violence
-
Violence against older adults
-
Violence against neurodivergent individuals
-
Suicide in families affected by violence
-
Developmental trauma resulting from childhood violence
-
Resilience processes in family dynamics
Researchers, faculty members, graduate students, and professionals in the fields of health, social work, law, education, psychology, gender studies, religious studies, sociology, and related disciplines.
Introductory ContextIntrafamilial violence remains one of the most alarming forms of human rights violations in Brazil, affecting multiple groups in situations of vulnerability. In many cases, the home — traditionally associated with protection and care — becomes the primary setting of violence.
Recent data from the Brazilian Forum on Public Security (2025) indicate that over 21.4 million women aged 16 and older reported experiencing some form of violence within the previous 12 months. In 2024, 1,450 femicides were recorded, in addition to thousands of intentional homicides and bodily injuries resulting in death. Psychological violence (32.6%) and physical violence (29.7%) were among the most prevalent forms.
Among children and adolescents, the national hotline (Disque 100) recorded 289,400 reports in 2024, with a significant increase in neglect cases. Studies indicate a concentration of sexual violence in the Amazon region and high rates of violent deaths during the analyzed period.
Violence against older adults has also increased substantially, with significant growth in reports during the first quarter of 2025. Recent normative measures have prioritized cases involving individuals over 80 years old.
Regarding the LGBTQIAPN+ population, Brazil continues to report high rates of murders of transgender individuals. A significant portion of these cases is associated with violence or expulsion from family environments.
In the field of mental health, suicide rates among Brazilian youth have steadily increased between 2011 and 2022. Exposure to intimate partner violence has been associated with a significantly higher risk of suicide among women.
These data demonstrate that intrafamilial violence is not merely a private issue but a structural and systemic public concern requiring robust institutional responses and intersectional care policies.
Theoretical Framework: A Systemic Analysis of Family ViolenceFrom a systemic perspective, intrafamilial violence is understood as a relational and circular phenomenon rather than an isolated event. This approach moves beyond linear interpretations centered solely on the victim–perpetrator dichotomy.
Individual behavior is analyzed in relation to the family system as a whole, where interactions generate feedback loops that perpetuate relational patterns.
Violence may manifest as a transgenerational phenomenon — transmitted across generations (vertical axis) — and as an intergenerational phenomenon — reproduced within current relational dynamics (horizontal axis).
Recent studies suggest that the circularity of violence compromises processes of self-differentiation and identity formation, sustaining dysfunctional family systems.
Systems thinking conceptualizes reality as a network of interconnected processes. Scholars such as Bertalanffy, Wiener, and Capra laid the theoretical foundations of this paradigm, later consolidated in the human sciences by systemic scholars.
Thus, this dossier seeks to move beyond linear causality and investigate the complex dynamics that sustain and reproduce violence within family systems.
