Objective: To understand the perception of family members and health professionals about institutional violence against hospitalized children.
Methods: Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study, used approximations with Foucault's thinking, carried out in a pediatric unit of a large hospital in Salvador - Bahia. 10 mothers and 39 health professionals participated. Data collection took place between November/2018 and October/2019 through semi-structured interviews. Data content analysis was performed with the help of the NVIVO12 software. The study, approved by Ethics Committee, complied with resolution 466/2012.
Results: The Institutional Violence was understood by the participants evidenced in three categories: abusive care practices; problems in the relationships between professionals, child and family; precariousness of the hospital structure.
Conclusion: The perception of family members and health professionals about the presence of Institutional Violence in children's hospital care demonstrates the need to establish actions in their confrontation to ensure the dignity of the child during hospitalization.