Neglect and abuse of children: causes, cosequences and prevention

Zanemarivanje i zlostavljanje djece se, u današnje vrijeme, smatra vrlo aktualnom i čestom temom. Djeca su zanemarivana i zlostavljena već stoljećima, no svjesnost o ovom problemu bila je vrlo niska i ovi su postupci nekada smatrani uobičajenim dijelom odgoja djece, unatoč činjenici da mogu ostaviti brojne traume i posljedice u njihovom razvoju. Zanemarivanje djece manifestira se nedovoljnom brigom za djetetove potrebe, nedostatkom osnovne brige te njege prema djeci od strane odraslih, njihovih skrbnika. Zlostavljanje djece podrazumijeva razne oblike tjelesnog, emocionalnog i seksualnog zlostavljanja koji, poput zanemarivanja, ostavljaju brojne posljedice u djetetovom razvoju Uključivanjem djeteta u ustanovu ranog i predškolskog odgoja i obrazovanja, odgojitelji postaju odgovorni za dobrobit djece. Odgojitelji mogu prepoznati zlostavljano ili zanemareno dijete te u suradnji sa stručnim suradnicima reagirati, prijaviti nasilje i djelovati adekvatnim pristupima. Cilj ovoga rada je pobliže objasniti vrste zanemarivanja i zlostavljanja, navesti njihove uzroke i posljedice koje utječu na djetetov razvoj, naglasiti važnost uloge odgojitelja u prevenciji nasilja nad djecom i senzibilizaciji društva za reagiranje na nasilje i zaštitu prava djece.The neglect and abuse of children, nowadays, is considered to be a very topical and frequent theme. Children have been neglected and abused for centuries but awareness of this problem has been very low, and these procedures were once considered to be the normal part of child rearing practice, despite the fact that they can leave a number of traumas and consequences in their development. Neglect of children manifests as a lack of care for a child's needs, lack of basic care and nursing for the children by adults, theirguardians. Child abuse involves various forms of physical, emotional and sexual abuse that, like neglect, leavemany consequences in the child's development. By involving achild in an early childhood education and care facility, educators are becoming responsible for the welfare of children. Educators can recognize an abused or neglected child and, in cooperation with professional colleagues, react, report violence and act with adequate approaches. The aim of this work is to explain the types of neglect and abuse, identify their causes and consequences affecting the child's development, stress the importance of the role of educators in preventing of violence and sensitising the society to respond to violence and protect children's rights