A Research on the Prevention of Fatal Child Abuse: 40 Case Studies from News

Abstract

In this article, it is aimed to explain and discuss the multidimensional and complex situation of fatal child abuse through the news (cases) of children killed by their parents and reflected in the media in the last ten years. By revealing the risk factors and triggers for the occurrence of the cases, it will be ensured that the factors causing the fatal child abuse are evaluated correctly. Thus, suggestions will be made for the preventive mechanisms in child protection services and the social policies to be formed in this area to intervene at the right time.Content analysis technique was used as a qualitative method in the research. The news of fatal child abuse was analyzed within the scope of thematic content analysis and the obtained data were synthesized and interpreted. As a result of synthesizing the cases with thematic content analysis, it was determined that the occurrence forms of the cases were largely similar. The division of the cases into certain categories and the compatibility of these categories with the risk factors of child abuse confirms the information in the literature.The study group of the research consists of the cases where fatal child abuse occurs within the scope of 40 news stories about children killed by their parents, 20 of which are from the mother and 20 from the father. In the study, cases older than ten years were excluded in order to present current data to social policies by analyzing current situations. As the data reached saturation, the study group was limited to forty parents.Psychological problems, early marriage and having children, and being in an non-marital relationship are the leading causes of abuse by mothers. Among the factors that cause paternal filicide are problems related to divorce and living apart, economic difficulties and problems related to substance use.As a result, considering the child neglect and abuse checklist, it is concluded that all of these cases are preventable. Families should be supported in risky situations by intervening within the scope of preventive services in child protection practices in these cases where fatal child abuse is experienced.