Background:In order to diagnose child abuse, physicians need to consider the possibility of abuse in every child they encounter, have sufficient information about the topic and manage the cases according to current law.Aims:To determine the knowledge level of physicians on child abuse and to learn their opinions about the procedures when they suspect child abuse.Study Design:A questionnaire (cross-sectional) study.Methods:A detailed questionnaire was applied to 390 physicians of whom 233 were general practitioners. The first part of the questionnaire included demographic variables (age, gender, occupational experience) and the frequency of child physical abuse cases encountered, since that is the most easily diagnosed and proven form of abuse. The second part consisted of 32 questions about diagnosis of physical child abuse and procedures during the follow-up of the cases. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 18.0.Results:Of the participating physicians, 47.4% (n=185) were female and only 13.1% of the physicians had some kind of postgraduate training on child abuse. The correct response rate of specialists compared to general practitioners was significantly higher. A total of 263 (72.3%) physicians thought that there was a specific law on physical child abuse in the Turkish Republic. More than two-thirds of physicians thought that reporting should only be addressed to Social Services and physicians should not be obliged to report to law enforcement.Conclusion:The results of the present study adds to the already known necessity for better training of physicians about physical child abuse and the need to refresh their knowledge through postgraduate courses. According to current regulations, it is obligatory to report abuse cases to the public prosecutor and/or police, therefore physicians also need training in respect of the legal status and medico-legal approach to these cases.

Criminal death incidence of women varies between developed and developing countries, and it has become a common public problem in almost every country. We do not have any data about femicide cases published in Turkey until today. In our study, we tried to call attention to femicide cases. In our study, we evaluated 141 cases of female homicides with an interval of 10 years between January 1996 and May 2005, retrospectively. Data retrieved were statistically evaluated using chi-square test. Most of the cases were between 21 and 35 years of age. Spouse murders are usually witnessed during the process of divorce. Establishment of institutions which will ensure the security of women during this period is of paramount importance. If we protect women during divorce and separation proceedings, we can prevent femicide cases. We also think that laws may be strengthened for protecting women who are vulnerable at such times.

Göç etme ve istismara maruz kalma ile ilgili geçmiş yaşantıların çocuk suçluluğu üzerindeki olumsuz etkisi bilinmektedir. Ani-plansız ve özellikle ekonomik nedenlerle yapılan göç, aile içerisinde öfke ve saldırganlığa yol açarak çocuğun diğer aile bireyleri tarafından istismar edilmesine neden olabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada; Ocak 1994-Aralık 2004 tarihleri arasında Antalya Adli Tıp Şube Müdürlüğü’ne muayene için gönderilen ve haklarında herhangi bir suç işleme ya da suça iştirak etme iddiası bulunan 1163 çocuğa birebir anket uygulanmıştır. Katılımcılara yaş, cinsiyet, işlediği iddia edilen suçlar, göç öyküsü olup olmadığı ve göç öyküsü varsa nereden göç ettiği, fiziksel istismara uğrayıp uğramadığı, uğruyorsa kimler tarafından istismar uygulandığı, çocuğun ve anne-babasının eğitim düzeyi, aile nüfusu, kardeş sayısı, aynı odada uyuduğu kişi sayısı, çalışıyorsa işi, eski suç öyküsü, konularında sorular yöneltilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular ilgili kaynakların ışığında değerlendirilmiştir.Anahtar kelimeler: Göç, çocuk suçluluğu, çocuk istismarı