COLLECTIVE CONSTRUCTION OF CARE PATHWAYS FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE: THE EXPERIENCE OF AN INTERSECTORAL FORUM IN CAICÓ/RN.
Sexual violence; Child; Adolescent; Permanent Education; Flowchart
Introduction: Sexual violence against children and adolescents is a serious violation of human rights and a critical public health issue, with profound impacts on the victims' physical, psychological, and social development. This research is justified by the urgent need to qualify services and strengthen the protection network in the municipality of Caicó/RN, given the lack of formalized intersectoral protocols, which leads to care fragmentation, referral failures, and the re-victimization of children and adolescents. Objectives: The general objective of this work was to promote a Municipal Forum for the collective construction of a care flowchart within the network for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence in the municipality of Caicó/RN. The specific objectives were to map current flows and practices, identify gaps in intersectoral articulation (health, social assistance, education, and justice), and construct the intersectoral care flowchart. Methodology: The research was conducted as action-research, centered on the realization of an educational action based on the principles of Permanent Health Education (PHE). The study was developed in Caicó/RN and included four stages: situational diagnosis, planning of a Participatory Forum, holding the Forum, and systematization of the protocol based on the contributions. Data collection utilized participant observation and minutes (records), with analysis guided by Thematic Content Analysis. Results: The Intersectoral Forum brought together broad representation from the protection network and identified the fragmentation of communication and the absence of formalized flows as the main operational challenges. However, high engagement and institutional willingness to strengthen the network were evidenced as potentialities. The primary outcome of the study was the development of an intersectoral workflow, which incorporates local realities and enhances the sense of belonging and adherence among professionals to the work process. Conclusions: It is concluded that the collective construction of the flowchart represents a significant legacy, providing the municipality with a concrete instrument to qualify reception, reduce re-victimization, and organize referrals. The consolidation of an effective protection network, however, requires the continuous maintenance of intersectoral dialogue, periodic review of the constructed flow, and the strengthening of the institutional culture of cooperation, reaffirming the commitment to comprehensive care and the defense of the rights of children and adolescents in Caicó/RN.