Authors

Mª José Aguilar Cordero

Position

Profesora de Enfermería Infantil. Departamento de Enfermería. Universidad de Granada.

Contact address

Departamento de Enfermería. Universidad de Granada. Avda. de Madrid, s/n. 18071 Granada.

Abstract

This article sought to make nursing professionals who, due to their line of work do not usually come into contact with children, aware of this very serious and amply known situation and the problematic it involves, regarding child maltreatment, the different types of child abuse, the risk factors, and the prevention and/or protection measures taken to protect minors at risk. These care and protection measures must be a general objective for all nursing practitioners, including those that do not work directly with children.

It has been demonstrated that children who are most frequently exposed to child abuse meet the following profile: male gender, aged between 1 and 6, infants who have been born prematurely, infants who present sleep alterations, hyperactivity, irritability, disobedience, or school failure. Although this is the classic profile of the abused child, there are multiple forms and ways in which it can be carried out, thereby, the importance of gathering, at least, general information in that respect so that the signs or symptoms of child maltreatment can be readily differentiated and identified.

A fundamental element to be taken into account by all those professionals who work in the area of child maltreatment prevention is for the interventional measures to be implemented in an interdisciplinary manner, working jointly so that the minor is the least possible time in that situation of helplessness. Nurses are, however, one of the healthcare professional groups that might most frequently encounter these situations.

Keywords:

child maltreatment; early detection; prevention; abandonmentabuse

Versión en Español

Título:

Niños víctimas de malos tratos. Prevención y cuidado