Resumen

ROMERO VIAMONTE, Katherine; VILLACIS SALAZAR, Marina Isabel  y  JARA VAZQUEZ, Ernesto. Child Abuse at an Ecuadorian School in Ambato. Rev Hum Med [online]. 2016, vol.16, n.2, pp. 215-226. ISSN 1727-8120.

Introduction: Child abuse is defined as mistreatment and neglect of children who are under 18. It includes physical or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence and commercial exploitation or any other kind of exploitation that may cause damage to children´s health, physical development or dignity, and may endanger their survival in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Method: A prospective, descriptive, analytical, longitudinal study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative approaches at Manuela Espejo School in Canton Ambato, Tungurahua province, Ecuador, during the period of 2013-2015 in order to determine the incidence of child abuse and provide adequate care or treatment. Results: 7.67% of children were abused; of those, males predominated at 74%. The abuse took place mainly in the family environment (52.17%) in the form of psychological maltreatment (62.16%). Conclusions: Child abuse remains a problem internationally. Continuous assistance to victims of abuse and their families can help reduce and mitigate its consequences.

Palabras clave : child abuse; child rights; domestic violence.

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