:: Volume 25, Issue 4 (2020) ::
Iran J Forensic Med 2020, 25(4): 45-51 Back to browse issues page
Pattern of Physical Injuries in Child Abuse Cases Referred to the Forensic Centers of Mazandaran Province in 2015 and 2016
A. Abbasi1 , Kh. Azimi 2, M. Poorbakhtiar3 , R. Azimi4
1- Legal Medicine Research Center, Iranian Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
2- Nursing & Midwifery Care Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , khadijehazimi88@gmail.com
3- Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- Psychology Department, School of Psychology & Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
Abstract:   (2807 Views)
Aims: Due to the importance of child abuse and its physical and psychological consequences, this study was conducted to investigate child abuse cases referred to forensic medicine centers in Mazandaran province and the challenges of recording child abuse cases in forensic medicine files.
Instruments & Methods: This present cross-sectional descriptive retrospective study was carried out on all of the referred cases of child abuse to the forensics centers of Mazandaran province in 2015 and 2016. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire included age and gender, the referring center, companion, harasser and the time of the assault, type of injury, time of occurrence, reason for the occurrence and the injured organ with a reliability coefficient of 98%.
Findings: The mean age of the children was almost 8 years old and the number of girls and boys was almost equal. Most of the injuries were made during the past 2 to 5 days and caused by getting hit with a hard object. The most injuries were respectively bruises, scratches and burns. The most involved organs were respectively the upper limbs, face, the lower limbs, the trunk, and the head and neck. Most of the bruises and swells were on the face, head, and neck, most of the scratches and burns were on the upper limbs and most of the pain was in the trunk.
Conclusion: The observed physical injuries were mostly consistent with the proven patterns of child abuse. Considering the flaws in recording the information, it is necessary to develop and apply standard forms using international protocols.        
Keywords: Child Abuse, Wounds and Injuries, Forensic Medicine
Full-Text [PDF 368 kb]   (1091 Downloads)    
Type of Article: Research Article | Subject: Forensic Epidemiology
Received: 2020/04/6 | Revised: 2021/01/30 | Accepted: 2020/04/16 | ePublished: 2020/07/22
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