Citation

Didziokiene A, Zemaitiene N. Medicina (Lithuania) 2005; 41(1): 59-66.

Vernacular Title

Smurta patirianciu rizikos grupes vaiku psichologine savijauta.

Affiliation

Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaunas University of Medicine, Eiveniu 4, 50010 Kaunas, Lithuania. nida@itc.kmu.lt.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Lietuvos Gydytoju Sajunga Lithuania)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

15687752

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the psychological peculiarities of physically abused schoolchildren of risk group. The survey was based on the data gathered using anonymous questionnaire. Indicators, chosen for evaluation of psychological well-being of schoolchildren, were the following: loneliness, happiness, ability to make contacts and socialize with peers, sense of coherence, self-esteem, and suicidal tendencies. The sample of 211 schoolchildren, aged 10 to 16 year from seventeen Kaunas secondary schools participated in the survey. The sampling was made on the basis of lists of socially and pedagogically neglected schoolchildren. It has been established that psychological well-being of physically abused schoolchildren, in comparison with the ones not abused, was worse. Physically abused children more often felt loneliness and unhappiness, found it more difficult to make friends, were more often characterized by low self-esteem and weak sense of coherence. The relationship between physical abuse and suicidal tendencies was established; suicidal tendencies among physically abused schoolchildren were six times more frequent than among those, who did not suffer violence (78.5% and 12.5%). Almost all schoolchildren, attributed to the group with high risk for suicide, were physically abused (29.0% and 1.9%, respectively).