Ebeveynlerin Çocuk ihmal ve İstismarına Yönelik Farkındalık ve Biliş Düzeylerinin Değerlendirilmesi: Ordu İli Örneği

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the awareness and cognitive levels of parents with preschool children regarding child abuse and neglect in terms of various sociodemographic variables. The research was conducted using the relational survey model to determine the relationships among variables. The study was carried out on a sample consisting of parents with preschool children living in Ordu Province.The study group consisted of 300 parents residing in Ordu who had children aged 0–66 months between February and April 2025. The sample was determined using the convenience sampling method. As data collection tools, a Personal Information Form prepared by the researcher and two scales were used. One of the scales employed in the study is the Child Neglect and Abuse Awareness Scale for Parents (CNAASP) developed by Ünal and Boz (2017) to measure parents’ awareness levels regarding child neglect and abuse. The scale consists of 45 items and five subdimensions. The other measurement tool is the Cognitions about Child Abuse Scale (CCAS), developed to determine individuals’ misconceptions, prejudices, and cognitive levels related to child neglect and abuse. This scale consists of three subdimensions and a total of 18 items. The data were analyzed using Independent Samples T-Test, ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney U tests. According to the findings, parents awareness levels differed significantly in terms of gender, age, and education level, while there were no significant differences in relation to number of children or economic status. However, education level, economic status, and number of children were found to create significant differences in parents misconceptions, prejudices, and cognitive levels regarding child abuse. These results indicate that parents awareness and cognition levels related to child abuse and neglect are closely associated with sociodemographic factors.