Considerations on Child Abuse from a Medical and Psychosocial Perspective

The UN Convention on Children’s Rights was adopted in 1989; the period leading up to the present day marks a continuous process for the implementation, observance and improvement of children’s rights. According to the United Nations, over the last decade 2 million children were killed in armed confl ict situations, more than 1 million became orphaned, over 6 million were severely injured, and over 10 million were left with severe psychological trauma. Child abuse takes the form of physical, psychological and social abuse, as well as neglect. Neglect of the child’s physical and psycho-emotional needs is the most frequent form of abuse and violence against children. Socio-economic factors play a part in increasing the risk of child abuse. Child abuse entails multiple short- and long-term consequences, ranging from physical pain, loss of self-respect, suicidal behavior, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia, phobias, criminal or aggressive behavior, all the way to death. The medical care and approach to the abused child must be provided by a multidisciplinary team, based on collaboration between education, healthcare, and child protection specialists, the local authorities, and various non-governmental organizations.