Factors Leading to Maltreatment of Pre-School Children in Governmental Kindergarten

Abstract

Every year, millions of children all over the world die from preventable causes as maltreatment which is an important contributor. Child maltreatment is complex problems with serious immediate and long-term ramifications for children, their families, and for society. It leads to actual or potential harm to the child’s health and human rights violation. Aim: is to evaluate factors leading to maltreatment of pre-school children in governmental kindergarten. Research design: it is a descriptive analytic study. Sample: included 72 governmental kindergartens pre-school children affiliated to Solidarity and Social Justice Ministry. Setting: kindergarten situated within Cairo governorate at El Waily, East Nasr City, El Sahel and El Bassatin districts. They were chosen using multi –stage random sample. Tools: the first tool was a self-administered questionnaire for assessing socio-demographic characteristics of kindergarten teachers, their knowledge and attitude toward maltreatment, developmental characteristics of pre-school children, also the Socio-demographic data of parents, their child behavior, and quality of life of children. Second tool was an observation checklist for assessing environmental conditions of kindergartens. Results: the study findings showed that the majority of teachers had poor knowledge regarding child maltreatment, nearly two thirds had negative attitude toward child maltreatment, and nearly two thirds had knowledge about developmental characteristics of pre-school children, and more than two thirds of children had some time behavioral problems. As regards environmental characteristics of kindergarten less than half of all physical set up and supplies below the actual characteristics of kindergartens. Recommendations: There is a needs for health clinic in each kindergarten equipped with community health nurse and pediatric physician for providing daily health supervision based on child needs, give first aid in emergency situation and health education to teachers and barents about factors leading to child maltreatment and how to deal with risk behaviour.