Page 37 - Petelin, Ana, et al. Eds. 2019. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of Children and Adolescents. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo / Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 37
tal health of children and youth with experience of abuse plenarna predavanja | plenary lectures
Gordana Buljan Flander
Child and Youth Protection Center of Zagreb, Đorđićeva 26, 10000 Zagreb,
Croatia
Traumatic experience, or experience of intense stressful event that leaves ex-
tremely severe and long-lasting consequences on the child's mental health can
be considered as the most significant factor in disrupting the mental health of
children and young people. Children abuse is defined as a set of behaviours and
events during which the child is a victim of psychological, physical, sexual or
emotional violence by another person, peer or adult. It is a form of traumatic
experience which causes children to develop mental health problems or lead
even to development of disorders. According reports of Council of Europe the
prevalence of abused children is worrying; every 4th girl and every 6th boy is
a victim of sexual abuse, which points to the growing number of children who
later deal with trauma and intense mental health problems, but also stigmati-
zation of the environment which makes it more difficult for the victim of abuse
to recover. Some of mental health problems which develop as a result of abuse
in children and youth can include depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. If
we don't respond to abuse of children and youth as soon as possible and in an
adequate manner, it can lead to a number of problems in later functioning, such
as: disrupted family relationships, inability to achieve high quality friendly and
romantic relationships, social inadequacy, alcohol and drug abuse, anxiety and
depressive disorders, repetition of abusive behavior towards their family mem-
bers in the future and suicide attempts.
Keywords: trauma, abuse, mental health, children, youth
35
Gordana Buljan Flander
Child and Youth Protection Center of Zagreb, Đorđićeva 26, 10000 Zagreb,
Croatia
Traumatic experience, or experience of intense stressful event that leaves ex-
tremely severe and long-lasting consequences on the child's mental health can
be considered as the most significant factor in disrupting the mental health of
children and young people. Children abuse is defined as a set of behaviours and
events during which the child is a victim of psychological, physical, sexual or
emotional violence by another person, peer or adult. It is a form of traumatic
experience which causes children to develop mental health problems or lead
even to development of disorders. According reports of Council of Europe the
prevalence of abused children is worrying; every 4th girl and every 6th boy is
a victim of sexual abuse, which points to the growing number of children who
later deal with trauma and intense mental health problems, but also stigmati-
zation of the environment which makes it more difficult for the victim of abuse
to recover. Some of mental health problems which develop as a result of abuse
in children and youth can include depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. If
we don't respond to abuse of children and youth as soon as possible and in an
adequate manner, it can lead to a number of problems in later functioning, such
as: disrupted family relationships, inability to achieve high quality friendly and
romantic relationships, social inadequacy, alcohol and drug abuse, anxiety and
depressive disorders, repetition of abusive behavior towards their family mem-
bers in the future and suicide attempts.
Keywords: trauma, abuse, mental health, children, youth
35
