Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, Golestan Psychiatric Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan
2
Associated professor of psychiatry, Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Psychiatric Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences
3
Associated professor of community medicine, Family Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran
Abstract
Introduction: Child abuse and neglect are phenomena that inflict irreparable damage on physical and mental health of children. This study examines a number of demographic and risk factors in children and their parents as well as their relation to child abuse are discussed.
Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-correlation study and was carried out in Bandar Abbas from October 2010 to September 2011. The abused children were identified in health centers and Pediatric Hospital of Bandar Abbas, Iran. After initial diagnosis of child abuse and neglect, children and their parents were referred to the psychosocial support unit for treatment and other interventions. Demographic and child abuse questionnaires assessed risk factors, types, and severity of child abuse. Chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between variables.
Results: Girls (P<0.01), children under 4 years (P<0.01), the second and third children (P<0.01), healthy children (P<0.01), children whose mothers were housewives (P<0.05), children of families with low literacy (P<0.001), young fathers (P<0.01), low-income (P<0.001), and substance abuse (P<0.001) were more prone to neglect. While the boys (P<0.05), children over 4 years (P<0.05), children of working mothers (P<0.01) and middle-income families (P<0.05) were at risk for emotional and physical abuse.
Conclusion: Accessibility to the findings that reveal different types of child abuse follow different types of risk factors, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of child abuse prevention programs and interventions.
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