The Responsibilities of School Employees in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

Raising healthy generations is possible firstly through a healthy children and child maltreatment is an issue that prevents it. The weight of the evidence from the research suggests that exposure to child abuse and neglect can affect the lifetime of the child, and it can lead to medical, psychological and behavioral disorders including: mental health problems, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, suicidal behaviors and self-harm. Considering that children spend time even longer in school more than in the family, it behooves the schools to intervention studies in child abuse and neglect. Also, the school environment may be a protective factor and a risk factor for child abuse and neglect. Therefore, in this study the prevention and intervention of child abuse and neglect and what needs to be done in the school environment are discussed in terms of the employees of the school (school administrators, teachers and school counselor), and it has been evaluated in light of the relevant literature. It is believed that the proposed educational and legal regulations in this study will improve the effectiveness of educational activities for children at-risk, creating a safer school climate and improving the child protection system in Turkey.

Keywords

• Child abuse,neglect,prevention,school administrator,teacher,school counselor

Çocuk İhmalini ve İstismarını Önlemede Okul Çalışanlarının Sorumlulukları

Abstract

Sağlıklı nesiller yetiştirmek öncelikle sağlıklı çocuklarla mümkündür ve çocuğa kötü muamele de buna engel olan bir sorundur. Birçok araştırma bulguları çocuk istismarına ve ihmaline maruz kalmanın çocuğu yaşam boyu etkilediğini ve ruhsal sorunlar, depresyon, travma sonrası stres bozukluğu, madde bağımlılığı, intihar girişimi ve özyaralama gibi tıbbi, psikolojik ve davranış bozukluklarına yol açtığını göstermektedir. Eğitim hayatına devam eden çocukların gün içinde evlerinden daha çok okulda zaman geçirdikleri düşünüldüğünde, çocuk istismarını ve ihmalini önleme ve müdahale çalışmalarında okullara büyük görevler düşmektedir. Ayrıca, okul ortamı çocuk istismarı ve ihmali için koruyucu bir faktör olabileceği gibi bir risk faktörü de olabilmektedir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışmada çocuk istismarını ve ihmalini önleme ve bu soruna müdahale konusunda okul ortamında yapılması gerekenler okul çalışanları (okul yöneticileri, öğretmenler ve okul psikolojik danışmanı) açısından ele alınmış ve ilgili alanyazın ışığında değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmada önerilen eğitimsel ve yasal düzenlemelerin Türkiye’de çocuk koruma sistemini geliştireceği, daha güvenli bir okul iklimini oluşturacağı ve risk altındaki çocuklara yönelik eğitim faaliyetlerinin etkinliğini artıracağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

• Çocuk istismarı,ihmal,önleme,okul yöneticisi,öğretmen,okul psikolojik danışmanı

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