Legal study on domestic violence among adolescents in the city of Otavalo (Ecuador): towards the strengthening of the family unity

Abstract

Abstract:
The family constitutes the fundamental pillar in the formation of values and principles to make the next generations honest, responsible and useful people to society. The purpose of the investigation was to carry out an analysis and interpretation of international and national legal regulations related to the guarantee of non-domestic violence against adolescents and the study of the real situation in the Otavalo Canton (Ecuador) for the proposal of new strategies that reduce the rates of abuse towards youth. The modality used was qualitative-quantitative mixed, with statistical percentages and the subjective appreciations of those involved. The documentary and field designs were used to interpret the norms and collect the information in the reality that was studied. The techniques and instruments used were the survey and the interview, with the collection of information through the questionnaire and the interview guide, respectively. Through an intentional non- robabilistic sampling, 30 adolescents and 3 lawyers specializing in Family Law were selected. The results revealed that there is a high rate of abused adolescents in their homes and that the guarantees to protect their rights are hardly applied. As conclusions of the study, it was proposed to issue a municipal ordinance that expands the powers and actions of the Cantonal Board for the Protection of Rights, so that the specific problems of adolescents who are victims of intrafamily violence are addressed. 

Keywords: legal study; domestic violence;