An investigation of preschool teachers' recognition of possible child abuse and neglect in Izmir, Turkey

The influence of racial perception on the recognition and reporting of child neglect

BACKGROUND

A major concern in the detection and reporting of child abuse and neglect regards the phenomenon of racial bias.

OBJECTIVE

This research examined whether the assessment and/or decision making concerning a case of neglect by Student Guidance Center-workers (SGC) is racially biased.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

238 Flemish SGC-workers participated and filled in the questionnaire.

METHODS

A visual vignette was used. SGC-workers were shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varied with respect to whether the child in the picture was colored or white or whether the room was empty. Participants indicated (1) if this was a situation of neglect (yes/no) and (2) if they would report this situation (yes/no).

RESULTS

The assessment was influenced by the color of the child with a moderate effect (V = 0.23). In case of a white child, 84 % of the respondents assessed the situation as neglect. In case of an empty room 71 % and in case of a colored child only 58 % assessed the situation as neglect (p = .002). Reporting of the case was not influenced by the color of the child (p = .875).

CONCLUSIONS

SGC-workers assessment of neglect appears to be racially biased. White children are considered more as neglected compared to their colored counterparts. Implementing strategies in order to decrease the racial bias is important.

Teachers' Responses to Child Maltreatment

Purpose

Teachers play an important role in detecting and reporting child maltreatment by virtue of their extensive contact with children. Current research, while limited, shows a tendency among teachers to under-detect and under-report various forms of child abuse and neglect. Methods: Using data from a pilot evaluation of child maltreatment training for teachers, we examined teachers' self-reported behaviours for different forms of maltreatment. Participants included 45 experienced teachers from a large urban centre in the province of Ontario (Canada) who rated their likelihood of, and rationale for, detecting and reporting maltreatment based on four case vignettes.

Results

Accuracy rates for detection and reporting were highest for sexual abuse (95% and 93%), followed by neglect (87% and 75%), emotional abuse (86% and 70%), and physical abuse (58% and 27%). Differences in detection and reporting rates were only significant between physical abuse and other maltreatment types (sexual abuse and neglect for detection; sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse for reporting), with accurate detection and reporting rates being significantly lower for physical abuse. Teachers stated that the physical abuse vignette lacked convincing evidence of child maltreatment. Further, many teachers indicated that additional information was needed to determine whether the vignette represented physical abuse and, as such, was reportable.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest the need for more targeted interventions to improve teachers' decision-making with potential child maltreatment scenarios, especially for physical abuse, so that children who are experiencing maltreatment may be more accurately detected and reported to child protection.

Child abuse and neglect in a rapidly developing country: Parents' perspectives

Purpose:

To identify parental awareness and knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect in the State of Qatar.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation, the only tertiary pediatric hospital in the State of Qatar at the time of the study. Parents of children of all ages were offered a questionnaire that included demographic details, parental knowledge, and awareness of child abuse and neglect.

Results:

300 questionnaires were completed (response rate = 95%). More than 70% of parents were older than 30 years of age, 60% of them were females, and 66% were college graduates. The majority of the participants stated their familiarity about child abuse, and 6% witnessed morbidity or mortality due to child abuse in the society. Despite the identified laws, only 50% of the parents were aware of laws restricting child abuse. In regards to children with special needs, only 16% of the participants agreed that disabled children are at a higher risk of abuse compared to healthy children, while 33% were neutral and 52% disagreed. In addition, one-fifth of the respondents stated that hitting is discipline, while 63% disagreed. Almost one-third of the respondents agreed that hitting hands and buttock or hitting with soft objects is acceptable form of discipline. Unexpectedly, one-quarter of participants stated that it is okay to hit a child as long as no damage incurs. As for verbal abuse, around one-third of parents stated that yelling is not a form of child abuse, and that yelling does not affect growth and development. Comparing both corporal and verbal abuse, approximately 70% of parents stated that yelling is less harmful than hitting. In terms of child neglect, around half of the respondents agreed with the statement “Leaving a child (<5 years) unattended at home is a form of neglect,” while 42% were neutral. Finally, approximately 50% of the participants believed that it is okay to depend on nannies in assisting their children in eating and using the bathroom.

Conclusion:

Parents residing in the State of Qatar believe that they have a good knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect. However, this study shows many deficiencies in parental knowledge of child abuse and neglect. Parents’ attitudes and perceptions are considered indispensable targets for community health intervention.

Expressions of domestic violence against adolescents: Educators' speeches

OBJECTIVES

to describe the expressions recognized by domestic violence educators experienced by school adolescents.

METHODS

it is a qualitative study based on Paulo Freire's liberating pedagogy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 teachers from a public elementary school in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. The data were systematized through the Discourse of the Collective Subject.

RESULTS

collective discourse reveals that educators identify schoolchildren who experience physical, psychological and negligent abuse, being denied even love and affection.

CONCLUSIONS

although not alluding to sexual abuse, educators recognize that students are inserted in the context of domestic violence, knowledge necessary for the development of actions that enable the exit of the student from the oppressed and overcoming the lived experience.

Child Abuse and Neglect Among Children Who Drop Out of School: A Study in Izmir, Turkey

Child abuse and neglect (CAN), and dropping out of school have long been recognized as pervasive social problems globally, and Turkey is no exception. This study aims to explore the prevalence and incidence of CAN in children who drop out of school of Turkey, using the ISPCAN Child abuse Screening Tool, Children's Version, which is an appropriate tool for multinational comparisons. Data from a convenience sample of children who drop out of school age 11, 13, and 16 from Izmir were collected either by interviews or by self-completion. The results show that, compared to children who do not drop out of school, children who drop out of school have higher rates of psychological and physical abuse and neglect within the family. This study not only highlights the need for preventive laws for CAN and dropping out of school, but also points to direction for future research.