Am I at risk? : a study into the local profile of the risk factors of physical abuse in school aged children

Abstract

The aim of this study is to look into the risk factors of child physical abuse, in children aged between 3 and 16 years old, and to create a local profile of those children most likely to be physically abused by their parents. Furthermore, three areas of risk factors are looked into, these being: the family, the child and the child's environment. A questionnaire was used to gather information on several cases of physical abuse from different sources. The results of this questionnaire show that even though there are factors that appear to predispose a child to physical abuse; it is difficult to create a specific profile. It is therefore concluded that all children, whatever their background, may become victims of physical abuse.