An investigation in 370 cases of child neglect
- VernacularTitle:儿童忽视调查370例
- Author:
Jing HUA
;
Ying WU
;
Guixiong GU
;
Jun CHEN
;
Linli ZHU
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research
2006;10(18):172-175
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Child neglect is one of the most important aspects of child abuse and has become a serious problem influencing children's development all over the world. Therefore, it is necessary to nderstand the current conditions and influential factors of child neglect and establish effective evaluation methods in China.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current conditions and influential factors of urban child neglect in Suzhou city.DESIGN: A comparative analysis of sampling survey.SETTING: Department of Children's Health Care, Soochow University Affiliated Children's Hospital.PARTICIPANTS: This study was conducted in one public kindergarten and two private kindergartens of urban areas in Suzhou city between March and October 2003. Totally 370 children (196 boys and 174 girls) aged between 4 to 6 years old without obvious physical and mental diseases were voluntarily investigated, and they had been living with the person that answered the questionnaire regarding to child neglect in China in the recent 1 year. METHODS: Questionnaire regarding to child neglect in China was sent to each volunteer.he questionnaire evaluates the current conditions of child neglect by 20 items of 5 aspects including physical care (buy fruit for child, consider the nutritional need of child, care about the body height and body mass of child), emotional care (chat with child, play and tour with child, encourage child to do the things whatever they can, listen to what the child feels, introduce the child to the guests when they come to your home, let him or her stop immediately when child cries, care about the activities in kindergarten), education care (buy books for child, tell stories to child, recognize and correct the bad behavior of child, answer the questions asked by child seriously), safety care (protections against fire and electricity at home, warn child against matches, knives and other sharp things, teach child how to cross the road) and health care (prepare the common medicine for child at home, urge child to brush teeth, correct the bad posture). The volunteers were asked to answer each question objectively according to the conditions of child within the recent 1 year, and each question should be answered by selecting only one choice (never, occasionally, usually, always), and anyone should not be omitted. Meanwhile,the educational background and occupation of the parents were also investigated.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The general status of child neglect and the effects of different family educational background and occupation of parents on child neglect were observed. RESULTS: Totally 370 questionnaires were sent out, and 370 qualified ones were recollected, the effective rate was 100%. ① In Suzhou city, the children were given better regards and good care in the aspects of education, medicine and safety, but neglects on children's physical and mental care still exists in a few families. ② Families of different educational background could think highly of the medical care, safety and psychical care of children, but neglects on education and emotional development more commonly existed in the families with the educational background under university. ③ All the families with different occupation could think highly of the medical care, safety and physical care of the children, but education and emotional development were better in the cadre families than in the ordinary families.CONCLUSION: In Suzhou city, the children are given better regards and good care in the aspects of education, medicine and safety, but some bad manifestations of child neglect exist in education and emotion, which are associated with the educational background and occupation of the parents.Further studies about the evaluation, prevention and intervention are needed for child neglect in China.
