Elsevier

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 19, Issue 4, April 1995, Pages 433-447
Child Abuse & Neglect

Physical abuse in Canadian runaway adolescents

https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(95)00007-UGet rights and content

Abstract

Recent studies with Canadian runaway youth have questioned the prevalence of abuse experienced by teenaged runaways and the causal contribution of such abuse to runaway experiences (Kufeldt, Duriux, Nimmo, & McDonald, 1992; Kufeldt, & Perry, 1989). This is a descriptive investigation of the physical abuse experienced in a sample of 195 Canadian adolescent runaways: the occurrence, nature and frequency of abuse, the age of onset and duration of abuse, the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator(s), and, who, if anyone, knew of the abuse. This investigation compared and contrasted the physical abuse experienced prior and subsequent to runaway experiences. In this sample, 86% of the population (74% of the males and 90% of the females) reported at least one physically abusive experience. The data reported suggest that this population of adolescents have been the victims of chronic, extreme abuse, experienced at a young age, often perpetrated by the biological parent (most often the mother), and was initiated prior to the first runaway episode. Female runaways were at greater risk than males for all types of abuse experience. Once youths left home, the physical abuse experiences decreased in frequency, but grew in severity, particularly for males.

Résumé

De récentes études portant sur les adolescents en fugue se sont penchées sur la prévalence des mauvais traitements que vivent ces jeunes gens et combien ces mauvais traitements contribuent aux fugues. Cet article rapporte une enquête descriptive concernant un échantillon de 195 adolescents en fugue qui ont été victimes de mauvais traitements physiques. On discute de la nature et la fréquence des mauvais traitements, l'âge où ont commencé les mauvais traitements, leur durée, la relation entre la victime et l'agresseur et quelles étaient les personnes qui possiblement étaient au courant de cette maltraitance. L'enquéte compare et contraste les mauvais traitements vécus avant et après les fugues. Dans l'échantillon en question, 86 p.c. des jeunes (74 p.c. des garçons et 90 p.c. des filles) ont rapporté au moins un incident de mauvais traitement physique. Les données suggèrent que cette population d'adolescents ont été victimes de mauvais traitements extrêmes, de nature chronique, à un bas age, qu'ils ont été souvent agressés par leur parent biologique (plus souvent la mére) et que ces mauvais traitements ont commencé avant la première fugue. Les adolescentes couraient de plus grands risques d'être victimes de plusieurs types de mauvais traitements que les adolescents. Après avoir quitté la maison, les mauvais traitements diminuent en fréquence, mais s'accroient en sévérité, surtout pour les adolescents.

Resumen

Estudios recientes con jovenes Canadienses que se fugan de sus hogares han cuestionado la prevalencia de abuso en estos jovenes y la contribucion causal de estos abusos para las experiencias de fuga (Kufeldt, et al. 1992; Kufeldt & Perry, 1989). Esta es una investigacion descriptiva de la experiencia de abuso fisico en una muestra de 195 adolescentes Canadienses fugados de sus hogares: la ocurrencia, la naturaleza y frecuencia del abuso, la edad en que ocurrio y la duracion del abuso, la relacion entre la victima y el (los) perpetrador(es), y quien, si se da el caso, sabia del abuso. Esta investigacion comparo las experiencias de abuso antes y despues de las experiencias de la fuga. En esta muestra, 86% de la poblacion (74% de varones y el 90% de las mujeres) reportaron por lo menos una experiencia abusiva. Los datos reportados sugieren que esta población de adolescentes han sido víctimas de abuso crónico y extremo, vividos a una edad temprana, a menudo realizado por los padres biológicos (más a menudo la madre) y se inició antes del primer episodio de fuga. Las muchachas fugadas estaban en mayor riesgo que los varones para todos los tipos de experiencias de abuso físico diseminuyen en frecuencia, pero aumentan en severidad, particularmente para los varones.

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