Social representation of child maltreatment in the family: Psychosocial factors that influence perceived maltreatment behaviors

In this study the social representation of child abuse is analyzed from a psychosocial perspective. Abuse is considered from the child welfare model. The main objectives are (1) to analyze social representation of abuse according to gender, age, parenthood and personal experience and (2) to identify false beliefs and myths that predict the perception of severity and frequency of abuse. The sample consisted of 261 subjects, both men and women aged between 18 and 89. Participants were randomly selected and individually interviewed. The results show that gender affects the concept of child abuse –men and women think differently about severity and frequency of abuse. Age determines the representation of the severity of abuse, so that young people take the abuse behavior more severely. The experience of abuse affects the severity of perceived mistreatment –those who think they have been mistreated take it less severely. Severity and frequency of abuse behaviors are grouped by the participants based not on the nature of abuse but on the quality and severity of the behavior.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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