Effective Factors of Child Abuse within Family

Child abuse is a common crime and it is caused by multiple individual and environmental factors that are combined. It increases the likelihood of this type of social harm. The aim of this study was to investigate the effective factors of child abuse within family.

In this study, qualitative method and in-depth interviews with experts were used and by analyzing the biographical data of 12 reported cases, in addition to describing the sociological characteristics of the victims, the presence of effective factors on child abuse was assessed in each sample.

Poverty index in 5 cases, single parent unstable family index in 8 cases, addiction index in 6 cases, lack of self-care education in 5 cases and mental retardation index in 3 cases were observed. Girls were more to be abused than boys. Child abuse by child acquaintances was more than strangers. Repeated and continuous child abuse was more than accidental cases. In more than half of the cases, the phenomenon of divorce, addiction and poverty was found in the living environment of the affected children. Sexual abuse of girls was reported more than physical and emotional abuse.

Factors affecting child abuse include poverty, unstable and single parent families, addiction, lack of self-care education, and mental retardation and disability.