ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate of awareness about abuse and related situations of parents who have 4–6 age group children with epilepsy.

The study included 204 parents with children diagnosed with epilepsy who applied to Akdeniz University Hospital Pediatric Neurology, Antalya Education-Research Hospital Pediatric Clinics between 15 January 2019 and 10 March 2020. The data were collected through a questionnaire form created in line with the literature, the “Abuse Awareness Scale for Parents” developed by Pekdoğan. High scale scores indicate that parents’ awareness of abuse is high. Written consent from Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Ethics Committee, institutions, scale owners, informed consent was obtained from parents.

Parents who have children with epilepsy have a moderate awareness of abuse. About 89.2% of the parents are mothers. Abuse awareness scores are 56.911±4.714. Fathers, parents who have girls have higher awareness of abuse. As the child’s mental disability increases (slightly to heavy), parents’ awareness of abuse also increases. Parents with high levels of abuse awareness described risky persons as familiar people, neighbors, foreigners, risky environments as educational institutions, go on a visit to, public transportation, and risky situations as child’s seizure, age, degree of mental disability, and abuser’s alcohol-substance use.

It is disappointing that important action-environments in Turkish culture pose a risk of abuse. It is attention getting that the education institutions are found to be risky by parents and the health professionals are not expressed in the prevention of abuse. Health-care professionals should inform children with epilepsy and their parents about child abuse.

Keywords: Abuse, child, epilepsy, nurse, parent