Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Beykent 3th International Health Sciences Research Days Congress, İstanbul, Türkiye, 22 - 25 Eylül 2021, sa.165, ss.171-178
ABSTRACT
Aim: Health professionals have
very important responsibilities in determining child abuse cases. It is a fact
that by increasing the awareness of healthcare professionals about child abuse
and neglect, cases will be reduced. Our aim in this qualitative study is to
evaluate physicians' awareness of child abuse and neglect in common and
different aspects.
Methods: Our qualitative study was
conducted with 14 physicians in the fields of pediatric health and diseases,
family medicine, orthopedics and traumatology, and ophthalmology who have a
high probability of encountering child abuse and neglect. The data were
collected through in-depth interviews. In this study, a semi-structured
questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions about child abuse and neglect
prepared in the light of literature review were used as data collection tools. The
interviews were recorded with the permission of the participants.
Results:
Most
of the physicians defined the concept of abuse, as an act made intentionally, mostly
physically and sexually; whereas neglect as an act made unintentionally and as
a failure to meet the needs of the child. Most physicians thought that child
abuse and neglect was inversely related to education level and income level of
the families. Most of the participants think that parents will reflect their
upbringing on their own children and that the relationship between mother and
father has an important place in terms of abuse and neglect. The physicians
thought that the abused/neglected child can have psychosocial problems in the
future; furthermore, they can have substance use and even fatal health
problems.
Conclusion:
It
was observed that physicians could not fully define child abuse and neglect and
did not have information about its types. Although all of the physicians were
aware that they were obliged to report cases of child abuse and neglect, we see
that they are not fully informed about the procedure.
Keywords: Awareness; child abuse and
neglect; physician