Comparison of the consequences of psychological and physical violence against children

Nasilje nad otroki je prisotno že od nekdaj in predstavlja družbeno pogojen koncept, ki so ga oblikovali ljudje, zgodovina ter kultura. Predstavlja enega od glavnih problemov javnega zdravja in ni le težava posameznika ali posamezne družine ter je v današnji družbi pogostejše, kot si mislimo. Otroci so lahko žrtve fizičnega, spolnega in/ali psihičnega nasilja, zanemarjanja, vrstniškega nasilja, lahko pa so tudi priče nasilju med odraslimi, ki so pogosto njihovi starši. Vse oblike nasilja, ki jih otroci doživljajo, s seboj prinašajo dolgotrajne posledice, ki spremljajo otroka tudi v njegovi odrasli dobi. V magistrskem delu je poudarek predvsem na fizičnem in psihičnem nasilju nad otroki ter na primerjavi posledic teh dveh oblik nasilja. Psihično nasilje je najpogostejša oblika nasilja in je del vsakega nasilnega odnosa, tako odnosa starš–otrok kot med dvema odraslima osebama. Kljub temu je v današnji družbi psihično nasilje normalizirano, velja za manj hudo obliko nasilja in v primerjavi s fizičnim nasiljem ga je veliko težje zaznati, dokazati ter definirati njegove posledice, ki se lahko začnejo pojavljati šele kasneje, v odrasli dobi. Vsako trpinčenje otrok, ne glede na obliko nasilja, ki ga otrok doživlja, pa je povezano z resnimi težavami internalizacije in eksternalizacije, depresijo, samouničevalnim vedenjem, antisocialnim vedenjem, anksioznimi motnjami, agresijo, motnjami hranjenja, napadi panike, nespečnostjo, občutki sramu in krivde, zlorabo alkohola in prepovedanih drog, nerazvitostjo v izobraževanju in neprimernim spolnim vedenjem. Biti žrtev ali priča nasilju prav tako povečuje verjetnost za žaljivo, nasilno vedenje, partnersko nasilje in kriminalizacijo v odrasli dobi. Pri vseh oblikah nasilja gre za zlorabo moči in kakršno koli nasilje je nedopustno, saj povzroča psihološko, socialno in materialno škodo tako individualno kot tudi celotni družbi.Violence against children has always been present and represents a socially conditioned concept shaped by people, history and culture. It represents one of the major problems of public health and is not just a problem for an individual or an individual family and it is also more common in today’s society than we may think. Children can be victims of physical, sexual and/or psychological violence, neglect, peer violence, or can witness violence among adults, which are often their parents. All forms of violence that children experience bring long-lasting consequences that can be seen afterwards in a child’s adulthood. The master\u27s thesis primarily focuses on physical and psychological violence against children and on comparing the consequences of these two forms of violence. Psychological violence is the most common form of violence and it is a part of every violent relationship, between parent-child or between two adults. Nevertheless, in today’s society, psychological violence is normalized, it is considered to be a less severe form of violence and, compared to physical violence, it is much more difficult to detect, prove and define its consequences, which can only begin to appear later, in adulthood. Any child maltreatment, regardless of the form of violence the child experiences, is associated with serious internalizing and externalizing problems, such as depression, self-destructive behavior, antisocial behavior, anxiety disorders, aggression, eating disorders, panic attacks, insomnia, feelings of shame and guilt, alcohol and drug abuse, underdevelopment in education and inappropriate sexual behavior. Being a victim or witnessing violence can also increase the likelihood of abusive and violent behavior, domestic violence, and criminalization in adulthood. All forms of violence are abuse of power and any kind of violence is inadmissible because it causes psychological, social and material harm both individually and socially