Nascere dalla violenza: maternità violata e maternità imposta. Conseguenze esistenziali dell’intimate partner violence e della violenza sessuale

This paper focuses its attention on the existential consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) when it leads to sexual violence and pregnancy. The aim is to explore the dramatic reality of being born through violence. It introduces two concepts that foster the importance of promoting adequate intervention and prevention strategies. The concept of violated maternity implies those situations in which a pregnant woman is the target of psychological and physical violence, usually by her partner or someone with whom she was in a relationship. The concept of coercive pregnancy refers to those forms of violence that induced the perpetrator to have a cohesive sexual and unprotected intercourse increasing the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy. In such cases the intention is to exercise further control over the victim, and reduce her to a state of augmented vulnerability and dependency. Further studies are necessary to explore the extent of this violence, including in the World, and to gather scientific and clinical evidence to inform adequately intervention and prevention.