Abuse and negligence of children with disabilities in the city of Zrenjanin

Abstract

The subject of this empirical research is to see the extent to which violence against children with disabilities is present in our society, in which families with children with disabilities abuse and/or neglect occurs, specifically in the city of Zrenjanin. The aim of the research was to determine whether and to what extent there are certain (and which) forms of abuse and / or neglect of children and youth with disabilities and which are the dominant factors for the development and maintenance of this situation, as well as to determine whether the degree of abuse and / or neglect of children and youth with disa?bilities in the city of Zrenjanin depends on certain socio-demographic factors of the family. The task, more precisely, was to determine the family context in which the abuse and / or neglect of children with disabilities occurs. Through a questionaire with closed-ended questions 80 respondents, primary and secondary school students of ?9. May? in Zrenjanin were interviewed. Students aged 10-21 were selected as the target group. It was determined that there is a factor that contributes to the vulnerability and marginalization of this group of children and youth in relation to children and youth of normal development. The analysis of the results showed that, out of the total number of respondents, 25% of them estimated that their living conditions were poor, while (on the total sample) 16.2% of them answered that (sometimes) they did not have enough food. Ten percent of them estimated that there are no satisfactory hygienic conditions (bathroom and hot water). By analyzing the answers to a certain group of questions, significant data were obtained that support the research questions that children with disabilities, who come from socially deprived families with many members and live in suburbs are more exposed to the possibility of suffering, abuse and / or neglect.