A Qualitative Study for Understanding the Professionals Working with Children Exposed to Neglect and Abuse

Child abuse and neglect is one of the most challenging areas of child welfare. It is quite natural that professionals such as social pediatricians, psychiatrists, forensic science experts, social workers, psychologists, and nurses that engage in multidisciplinary processes to make multi-dimensional assessments and to conduct appropriate practices on children who are exposed to neglect and abuse are affected in various ways. This study aimed to examine the challenges that the professionals working with children who are exposed to neglect and abuse experience on various aspects of their lives and their coping strategies. The qualitative research methods were used, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine professionals (one social pediatricians, two social workers, three nurses, and three forensic science experts) working in two different provinces in Turkey. Six of the interviewees are female and three are male. The interviews were analyzed according to the thematic analysis. The professionals’ experiences are analyzed under two themes: ‘the reflections on the emotions and the opinions’, and ‘the behaviors and the coping strategies’. The issues of the anger towards the abuser, the passive parenting, the concern for abuse and insecurity, the control and protection, the reflections regarding communication with the child, anger and intimacy in social life are examined as sub-themes under the themes of the reflections on the emotions and the opinions’. Additionally, other sub-themes of sharing with somebody and professional support, sparing time to clear the mind and social activities, supportive aspect of team work, job satisfaction and feedbacks are analyzed under the the theme of coping strategies. This study reveals the need for a supportive practice for professionals as part of the child protection system for professionals working in the field of child protection.

İhmal ve İstismara Maruz Kalan Çocuklarla Çalışan Profesyonelleri Anlamak Üzerine Bir Nitel Araştırma

Çocuk ihmal ve istismarı, çocuk refahı alanı içerisinde çalışılması en güç alanlardan birisidir. İhmal ve istismara maruz kalan çocuklarla çalışmada çok yönlü değerlendirme yapabilmek ve gerekli uygulamaları gerçekleştirebilmek için multidisipliner çalışmalar yapan sosyal pediyatri uzmanı, psikiyatrist, adli tıp uzmanı, sosyal çalışmacı, psikolog, hemşire gibi farklı meslek gruplarına sahip profesyonellerin de çeşitli etkilenmeler yaşaması olağandır. Bu çalışmada ihmal ve istismara maruz kalan çocuklarla çalışan profesyonellerin çalışma deneyimlerinin çeşitli yaşam alanlarına etkilerinin keşfedilmesi ve bu etkilenmelerle nasıl baş ettiklerinin öğrenilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Nitel desende derinlemesine görüşme tekniğiyle altı kadın, üç erkek olmak üzere toplamda 9 profesyonel (bir sosyal pediyatrist, iki sosyal hizmet uzmanı, üç hemşire ve üç adli tıp uzmanı) ile görüşülmüştür. Görüşmeler tematik analize göre analiz edilmiştir. Profesyonellerin deneyimlerine ilişkin bilgiler duygu, düşünce ve davranışa yansımalar ve baş etme stratejileri temaları altında toplanmıştır. Duygu, düşünce ve davranışa yansımalar teması; istismar failine ve sessiz kalan ebeveyne öfke, istismar kaygısı ve güvensizlik, kontrol ve koruma, çocukla iletişim bilgisinin yansıması, sosyal yaşamda kızgınlık ve yakınlık alt temaları altında ele alınmıştır. Baş etme stratejileri teması ise birileriyle paylaşma ve profesyonel destek, zihin boşaltımına özel zaman ayırma ve sosyal etkinlikler, ekip çalışmasının destekleyici yönü, iş tatmini ve geri bildirimler alt temalarında analiz edilmiştir. Bu çalışma çocuk koruma alanında çalışan profesyonellere yönelik çocuk koruma sisteminin bir parçası olarak profesyonleri destekleyici bir uygulama gereksinimini ortaya koymaktadır.

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