[Sexual violence against children in a family environment attended by SAMVVIS, Teresina, PI].

This study deals with the characterization of sexual violence in children seen at the Services for the Assistance of Women Victims of Sexual Violence (SAMVVIS) from 2004 to 2007 in Teresina, PI. Data collected from 229 charts indicate that the age of the children varies from less than one year up to 12 years of age. The identification of the aggressor was the neighbor (29.7%), stepfather (11.4%), father (9.4%) and uncle with 8.4%. In regards to the occupation of the aggressor, 20.35% are students, unemployed (26.85%) and retired (3.89%). It follows that there is the need for more efficiency in the policy of child protection and a need for campaigns to alert the mothers when choosing the caretakers of their daughters.