Journals / YOBÜ Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2

EMOTIONAL ABUSE AMONG CHILDREN AGED 7–12: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

7-12 Yaş Grubu Çocukların Yaş ve Cinsiyetlerine Göre Duygusal İstismar Durumları: Tanımlayıcı ve Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Yasemin Kılıç(HİTİT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)
Selen Özakar Akça(HİTİT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)
Pages
110–119
Publication Date
2026-07-31
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Overall, 92.2% of boys and 95.9% of girls experienced emotional abuse at least at a low level.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Objective: Emotional abuse, frequently encountered during childhood yet often overlooked, is a significant phenomenon that profoundly affects a child’s psychosocial development despite leaving no physical trace.
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Key Findings & Data:Material- Methods : This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year with students aged 7–12 attending primary schools affiliated with the Provincial Directorate of National Education in a province located in the Central Anatolia Region.
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Conclusion & Impact:Overall, 92.2% of boys and 95.9% of girls experienced emotional abuse at least at a low level.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2024–2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Duygusal istismar · Okul Çağı Çocukları · Yaş

Abstract

Objective: Emotional abuse, frequently encountered during childhood yet often overlooked, is a significant phenomenon that profoundly affects a child’s psychosocial development despite leaving no physical trace. This type of abuse, which may occur within family relationships, teacher-student interactions, and peer environments, can cause long-term harm and is often difficult to detect. This study aims to identify the types of emotional abuse experienced by children, and to analyze these forms of abuse in relation to age and gender. Material- Methods : This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year with students aged 7–12 attending primary schools affiliated with the Provincial Directorate of National Education in a province located in the Central Anatolia Region. A total of 334 children participated in the study. Data were collected using the “Emotional Abuse Identification Form,” developed by the researcher, consisting of 24 items in three sections measuring emotional abuse originating from family, teachers, and peers. Results: Of the participants, 193 were girls and 141 were boys, with a mean age of 9.56±1.60 years. Among boys, 5% experienced high levels of abuse from their families, while 5.2% of girls reported the same. Teacher-related abuse was reported by 7.8% of boys and 1.6% of girls, while peer-related abuse was reported by 7.8% of boys and 3.1% of girls. Overall, 92.2% of boys and 95.9% of girls experienced emotional abuse at least at a low level. Boys were found to be more exposed to teacher- and peer-related abuse. When examined by age groups, children aged 10–12 were more likely to experience family- and peer-related abuse compared to those aged 7–9. Conclusion: The study revealed that all children aged 7–12 had experienced at least one form of emotional abuse. Boys were more frequently exposed to teacher- and peer-related abuse, and differences in abuse types increased with age. These findings highlight the importance of considering demographic characteristics such as age and gender in intervention and prevention efforts aimed at protecting children from emotional abuse, and emphasize the necessity of evaluating family, teacher, and peer factors through a holistic approach.

Özet

Giriş: Çocukluk döneminde sıkça karşılaşılan ancak çoğu zaman göz ardı edilen duygusal istismar, fiziksel bir iz bırakmamasına rağmen çocuğun psikososyal gelişimini derinden etkileyen önemli bir olgudur. Aile içi ilişkilerde, öğretmen-öğrenci etkileşimlerinde ve arkadaş çevresinde ortaya çıkabilen bu istismar türü, uzun vadeli zararlar doğurabilmekte ve çoğu zaman fark edilmesi güç olmaktadır. Bu çalışma ile çocuğun maruz kaldığı duygusal istismar türlerini tanımlamayı ve bu istismar türlerini yaş ve cinsiyet bağlamında analiz etmeyi amaçlamıştır. Gereç- Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel nitelikteki bu araştırma, 2024-2025 öğretim yılında İç Anadolu Bölgesi’nde bir ilin Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü’ne bağlı ilköğretim kurumlarında öğrenim gören 7-12 yaş grubu çocuklarla yürütülmüştür. Çalışmaya toplam 334 çocuk dâhil edilmiştir. Veriler, araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen, aile, öğretmen ve arkadaş kaynaklı duygusal istismarı ölçmeye yönelik üç bölümden oluşan 24 maddelik “Duygusal İstismarı Belirleme Formu” aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Katılımcıların 193’ü kız, 141’i erkek olup yaş ortalaması 9.56±1.60 yıldır. Erkeklerin %5’i, kızların %5.2’si ailelerinden; erkeklerin %7.8’i, kızların %1.6’sı öğretmenlerinden; erkeklerin %7.8’i, kızların %3.1’i arkadaşlarından yüksek düzeyde istismara maruz kalmıştır. Genel olarak erkeklerin %92.2’si, kızların %95.9’u düşük düzeyde de olsa duygusal istismar yaşamıştır. Erkek çocukların öğretmen ve arkadaş kaynaklı istismara daha yüksek oranlarda maruz kaldıkları belirlenmiştir. Yaş gruplarına göre incelendiğinde, 10-12 yaş grubundaki çocukların 7-9 yaş grubundaki çocuklara göre aile ve arkadaş kaynaklı istismara daha fazla maruz kaldıkları görülmüştür. Sonuç: Araştırma, 7-12 yaş grubundaki çocukların tamamının en az bir duygusal istismar deneyimi yaşadığını ortaya koymuştur. Erkek çocukların öğretmen ve arkadaş kaynaklı istismara daha fazla maruz kaldığı, yaş ilerledikçe istismar biçimlerinde farklılıkların arttığı saptanmıştır. Bu bulgular, çocukları duygusal istismardan korumaya yönelik müdahale ve önleme çalışmalarında yaş ve cinsiyet gibi demografik özelliklerin dikkate alınması gerektiğini, aile, öğretmen ve arkadaş faktörlerinin ise bütüncül bir yaklaşımla değerlendirilmesinin önemini göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Kılıç, Y., Akça, S. Ö. (2026). EMOTIONAL ABUSE AMONG CHILDREN AGED 7–12: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF AGE AND GENDER DIFFERENCES. YOBÜ Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2, 110–119. https://ajindex.com/articles/1345360

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