J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1997 Dec;18(12):1436-1451.

Child battering and related factors in family

• Kim DH
• Lee SK
• Suh YS
• Shin DH
• Kim YH
• Lee WD
• Yoon YJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A child battering can lead to a serious obstacles to the development in mental, physical and social life. Also it can produce an impediment to a domesticity. A child battering has been studied in Seoul, but there has been little study on the frequency and the relat,ed factors according to t,he region. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the frequency and the related factors with a child battering in urban and rural areas.
METHODS
A questionnare survey was conducted on 1,652 children in 3rd 4th grade of two elementary school(one urban area and the other in suburban area) in Taegu and one school in rural area of Kyungbook province from September 1 to September 10 1995. The children were grouped by Straus CRT scale according to the degree of battering.
RESULTS
Among 1,652 surveyed children 1,196(72.4% ) children belonged to the battered group. 277(23.2%) children in the battered group belong to light battered group and 919(76.8%) children belong to the severely battered group. the common reasons for severe battering were making troubles(47.9%), poor school performance(16.5%) and disobedience t,o the parents(9.2 %). The primary battering persons are biologic mother(57.5%) and biologic father(25.7%), a rod is mainly used(72.2%). The frequercy of severely battering was significant,ly higher in the following cases; living in suburban(78.8%), middie school graduation in fathers education level (89.3%), high school graduation in mot,her's educat.ion level(84.9%), laborer(22.0%) or salary worker(20.9%, P<0.05). The level of battering was signficantly higher in urban and sunuban areas t.han in rural areas(P<0.05), also the cases of significantly high battering level were as followings; in suburban areas, fat,her only working(55.7%), both parents working(34.5%), laborer in father's occupation(22.0%), one or two times quarreling an year between father and mother(39.4%). 7 to 11 battering times an year(P<0.05%). However, the level of battering was not signficantly different among grade, sex, house type or religion. Majority of the physical injuries due to battering were no marks(60.7%) and bruise(31.5%). The most of the symptoms from severely battered were tingling sensation of extremities(51.6%) and a poor appetite(11.5%). The common psycho-behavioral complaints of the severely battered children were unamusing(30.9%), don't like studying or going to school(34.8%), dont like going home(12.8%).
CONCLUSIONS
When diagnose and treat in family office, family physician must assess the family function that included a place of residence, the type of house, parents education, occupation and a religion, must affiliate a wound that, dont exposed in physical examination. Also standardized and verified physical violence for child abuse and battering child is necessary to be studied in Korea.

MeSH Terms

Child Abuse
Child*
Daegu
Education
Fathers
Humans
Korea
Occupations
Parents
Physical Examination
Physicians, Family
Salaries and Fringe Benefits
Sensation
Seoul
Violence
Wounds and Injuries