Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Unreported child abuse and neglect (CAN) cases cause further abuse of the child, and these children can't receive the necessary help they need. In addition to this, without reporting, the legal process couldn't start and the perpetrator can't be punished.In this study, it was aimed to examine the CAN cases recorded in four hospitals within one year time and to compare judicial cases and cases led by the suspicion of abuse from different departments of the hospitals.

METHODS

The research was conducted in relevant departments of four hospitals in Izmir in order to registered cases under the scope of child abuse.BECAN transmission forms were used.Group comparisons were made by using independent groups t-test.

RESULTS

The sample was consist of 352 cases and 55% of them were judicial cases.It has been determined that perpetrators in suspected cases referred by health care professionals were mostly a family member and the average age of the abused children were smaller. 41.3% of males and 24.6% of females suffering from CAN have been identified by healthcare professionals.Problems with schooling, alcohol/substance abuse, self-harming behaviors, psychiatric disorders are the most common problems in exploited children in this research.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that child abuse inside the family and boys who experienced CAN are remained hidden at a higher rate.It is possible to detect abuse earlier and make interventions by informing parents, schools, social services, police and primary health care workers, about the types of abuse and the symptoms that appear in children who exposed to them.