Abstract
The objective of this research was to determine the opinions that the health personnel of a tertiary hospital have on child abuse. The study was observational, descriptive, temporally prospective, with non-probabilistic sampling of consecutive cases. Health personnel who provided services at the Hospital de Clínicas of the National University of Asunción were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire. 77 professionals were interviewed. With regard to the results regarding beliefs about children, the options “not showing affection” and “not meeting their basic needs” were significantly more serious for women. Regarding beliefs related to parents, the behaviors most observed in daily life were “yelling” and “threats”. Regarding the severity and frequency of the behavior, it was observed that the highest agreement was that “parents who use drugs are more likely to abuse their children.” In order to face the problem of child abuse, from the public health sphere, it is essential to know if professionals have enough tools and knowledge to address this situation, and to establish plans to improve said knowledge. In Paraguay, child abuse is not uncommon. Neglect or abandonment is the most frequent abuse, followed by sexual abuse.
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