Chronically ill kids subjected more to physical abuse
February 18th, 2011 - 7:01 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Feb 18 (IANS) Children with chronic health conditions are 88 percent more likely to suffer physical abuse than healthy children, says new research. These kids are also 154 percent more likely to suffer a combination of physical abuse and exposure to intimate partner violence than their healthy school friends.
Researchers from Karlstad University, Sweden, analysed 2,510 questionnaires completed anonymously by children aged 10, 12 and 15 from 44 schools, and found that nearly one in four had at least one chronic health condition, including visual, hearing or speech problems, diabetes, mental illness, physical disabilities, allergies, weight issues, epilepsy or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the journal Acta Paediatrica reports, citing an university release.
“Twelve percent of all the children who took part in the survey said they had been physically abused (ranging from severe shaking, ear boxing and hair pulling by an adult to being severely beaten with a hand or device), seven percent had witnessed intimate partner violence (a child seeing adults in their family hit each other) and three percent had experienced both,” says lead author Birgitta Svensson from the department of health and environmental sciences at the university.
“But when we looked at children with chronic illness, the figures were significantly higher for physical abuse and for physical abuse combined with intimate partner violence.”
“It is clear from our study that children with chronic health conditions face an increased risk of child physical abuse,” says Svensson.
- Chronically ill kids '88pc more likely to suffer physical abuse' - Feb 18, 2011
- Lack of exercise increases heart risk among kids - May 13, 2011
- Kids with epilepsy 'more likely to have psychiatric symptoms' - Mar 26, 2011
- Intimate partner violence against mums linked to kids' obesity - Jun 08, 2010
- Chronic illness in childhood affects future income, education and career - Feb 02, 2011
- Contraceptive pill, smoking linked to childhood stroke risk - Nov 02, 2010
- Sexually abused girl child more prone to stroke - Nov 14, 2011
- Early treatment can cure compulsive handwashing - Apr 04, 2011
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder tied to low maternal education - Jun 02, 2010
- Epileptic kids say quality of life better than their parents think - May 14, 2010
- Men too 'suffer psychological trauma from partner abuse' - Apr 08, 2011
- Colourful plate boosts finicky eater's appetite - Jan 06, 2012
- Childhood abuse may be linked to osteoarthritis - Nov 03, 2009
- 'Epilepsy is disabling, needs understanding' (March 26 is World Epilepsy Day) - Mar 25, 2012
- In India, physical abuse by in-laws common during and after pregnancy - Aug 17, 2010
Tags: acta paediatrica, attention deficit hyperactivity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, birgitta, child physical abuse, children with chronic illness, chronic health condition, chronic health conditions, deficit hyperactivity disorder, environmental sciences, hyperactivity, ill kids, intimate partner violence, karlstad university, london feb, physical disabilities, questionnaires, school friends, speech problems, svensson