Violencia simbólica y el silencio como mecanismo de control en las relaciones interpersonales: una revisión sistemática con implicaciones para el contexto ecuatoriano

Yainier     Reyes-Reyes; Edwin Martín     García-Ramírez

doi:10.47606/ACVEN/PH0544

Authors

Yainier Reyes-Reyes Universidad César Vallejo Perú- Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9927-8293
Edwin Martín García-Ramírez Universidad César Vallejo Perú- Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3483-1158

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47606/ACVEN/PH0544

Keywords:

symbolic violence, mental health, self-silencing, systematic review, Ecuadorian context.

Abstract

Symbolic violence operates as a subtle form of social domination whose manifestations in interpersonal relationships are linked to self-silencing and mental health impairments. The objective of this study was to analyze, through a rigorous systematic review under the PRISMA 2020 statement, international scientific evidence on the relationship between symbolic violence, relational silence, and mental health, evaluating its implications for the Ecuadorian context. The literature search was executed on August 15, 2025 across Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and SciELO. Strict eligibility criteria were established, and methodological quality was appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools, while risk of bias was assessed with ROBIS. The selection flow refined the sample to N = 25 primary studies included in the qualitative synthesis, achieving 100% consistency with the reference list. Overall, 52.0% of the studies (n = 13) analyzed dynamics within intimate relationships; 48.0% (n = 12) examined silence as a control mechanism. Regarding clinical outcomes reported across the literature, 16 studies (64.0%) identified anxiety symptoms and 14 studies (56.0%) reported depression or emotional distress. Only 2 studies (8.0%) originated from Ecuador, revealing that national empirical research remains nascent. It is concluded that self-silencing is an internationally supported psychosocial risk factor, offering conceptual and methodological benchmarks to guide future research and adapt clinical protocols in Ecuador without directly extrapolating foreign prevalence rates.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Asnaani, A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2012). Collaboration in multicultural therapy: Establishing a strong therapeutic alliance across cultural lines. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(2), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21829 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21829

Baeza, M. J., de Santis, J. P., Cianelli, R., Metheny, N., & Villegas, N. (2024). Bearing with intimate partner violence: A grounded theory study of self-silencing among Hispanic women. Qualitative Health Research, 34(7), 662–675. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231215421 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231225144

Bao, D. (2025). A systematic review of multifaceted silence in social psychology. Behavioral Sciences, 15(9), Article 1220. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091220 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091220

Bourdieu, P. (2000). La dominación masculina (J. Jordá, Trad.). Editorial Anagrama. (Obra original publicada en 1998)

Castillo-Gonzáles, M., Mendo-Lázaro, S., León-del-Barco, B., Terán-Andrade, E., & López-Ramos, V. M. (2024). Dating violence and emotional dependence in university students. Behavioral Sciences, 14(3), Article 176. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14030176 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14030176

Dávila, L. F., Moreno Quirós, C., Arias Acevedo, C., Vallejo, J. D., Fajardo Puerta, L., Rivera, L. A., & Durán Suárez, P. (2020). Violencia simbólica: Revisión de los estudios que acuñan el concepto en América Latina (2009-2019). Novum Jus, 14(2), 45–82. https://doi.org/10.14718/NovumJus.2020.14.2.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14718/NovumJus.2020.14.2.3

Davoodi, E., King, K., & Jobson, L. (2025). Indirect relationship between perfectionism and depression through self-silencing and guilt: A cross-cultural study. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507686.2025.2494504 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21507686.2025.2494504

Day, S., Laver, K., Jeon, Y. H., Radford, K., & Low, L. F. (2023). Frameworks for cultural adaptation of psychosocial interventions: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Dementia, 22(8), 1921–1949. https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012231192360 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012231192360

Dressler, E., & Wolff, J. (2024). From political instability to “internal armed conflict”: Ecuador's multiple crisis. Revista de Ciencia Política, 44(2), 269–293. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-090X2024005000107 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-090x2024005000107

Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery. Basic Books.

Hex, J. P. (2019). Bearing the burden of silence: Interpersonal power dynamics in Latina women. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(8), 2411–2430. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518794401

Inman, E. M., & London, B. (2022). Self-silencing mediates the relationship between rejection sensitivity and intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(13-14), NP12475–NP12494. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260521990828 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260521997948

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos. (2019). Encuesta nacional sobre relaciones familiares y violencia de género contra las mujeres. INEC. https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec/violencia-de-genero/

Jack, D. C. (1991). Silencing the self: Women and depression. Harvard University Press.

Jakubowski, K. P., Barinas-Mitchell, E., Chang, Y. F., Maki, P. M., Matthews, K. A., & Thurston, R. C. (2022). The cardiovascular cost of silence: Self-silencing and carotid atherosclerosis in midlife women. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56(3), 282–290. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab062 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab046

Lee, E., Greenblatt, A., & Hu, R. (2021). A knowledge synthesis of cross-cultural psychotherapy research: A critical review. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 52(6), 711–730. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221211028911 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221211028911

Maji, S., & Dixit, S. (2019). Self-silencing and women's health: A review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 65(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764018814271 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764018814271

Ministerio de Salud Pública del Ecuador. (2019). Protocolo de atención integral a víctimas de violencia de género. MSP. https://www.salud.gob.ec/

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), Article e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

Moreira Pinargote, A. L., & Zambrano Santos, Z. L. (2023). Tipos de violencia de género recurrentes en Manabí en el 2021, datos estadísticos de OVIGEMA. Revista San Gregorio, 1(53), 32–50. https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v0i53.2304 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1i53.2304

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Pokharel, B., Hegadoren, K., & Papathanassoglou, E. (2020). Factors influencing silencing of women who experience intimate partner violence: An integrative review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 52, Article 101422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2020.101422 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2020.101422

Samardzic, T., Li, Y., & Johnson, M. (2024). Young women's silencing-type behaviors in heterosexual relationships and associations with mental health. Journal of Youth Studies, 27(3), 310–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2022.2125078

Scott, J., James, K. F., Méndez, D. D., Johnson, R., & Davis, E. M. (2023). The wear and tear of racism: Self-silencing from the perspective of young Black women. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 3, Article 100268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100268 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100268

Thompson, M., & Dale, S. K. (2021). Gendered racial microaggressions and self-silencing associated with suicidality among Black women living with HIV. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 9(3), 748–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01009-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01009-4