Abstract

FRANCIA REYES, María Elena. Maltrato infantil: Un problema de todos. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2003, vol.19, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3038.

With the objective of determining the situation of child abuse and particularly identifying those children that might be subjected to abuse, a retrospective cross-sectional and descriptive study was made on students characterized by risk factors and their relatives during the school year 2000-2001 in the elementary school "Patria Nueva" located in Vedado neighborhood. The study determined the socio-economic and socio-cultural levels of the families included in our research and additionally it identified the members of the family that suffered child abuse in their childhood. The research methodology applied was the qualitative technique of focal groups because it represented a suitable method to obtain information about pieces of knowledge, attitudes and practices in a specific topic or in a particular population. We achieved results and arrived at the conclusions that neither the socio-cultural nor the socio-economic levels are determining factors for child abuse, but instead the learning acquired by the parents in their childhood is, and also that these parents are not fully aware of the fact that they ill-treat their children.

Keywords : CHILD ABUSE; FAMILY; SOCIAL CLASS; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; SOCIAL PROBLEMS.