Characterization of child abuse in dysfunctional families of "Ana Betancourt" Polyclinic. January - June, 2017

Abstract

Introduction:  All types of child abuse make an impact on the child, the family, and the society; and this situation becomes more serious in younger infants.
Objective: To characterize child abuse in dysfunctional families of Ana Betancourt" Polyclinic.
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2017.  The universe was composed of 42 families.  A questionnaire was applied to 24 families who were chosen by selection criteria; the answers were selected by the parents´ consensus.
Results:  In a 54,1% of families, the parents demonstrated an excessive authority during the education of their children.  Physical abuse was found in 75 % of the families, and occurred in six or more occasions in its totality during the last year. In 61,1% of the families, the mother was the one who caused it, in more than half of the occasions.  In 44,4% of the families, the parent who caused physical damage was under the effects of alcohol.  Psychological abuse was confirmed in 25 % of the families, since in 16,6 % of the cases, the parents reported that, almost always, they had used offensive phrases; and in 8,3 % they reported that, almost always, they had criticized or shamed their sons or daughters in front of other persons.
Conclusions: Child abuse was detected in all the evaluated families. Physical abuse predominated.  Authoritarian styles predominated in the parent-child relationship.  Children are mentally damaged as a consequence of abuse.

Keywords: child abuse, dysfunctional families, physical damage, psychological abuse.