Investigation of the knowledge and awareness levels of parents of preschool children regarding child neglect

The aim of this study is to examine the knowledge and awareness levels of parents of preschool children regarding child neglect. For this purpose, the study utilized the phenomenology model, one of the qualitative research designs. The study's participants consisted of parents of children aged 3-6 years attending an official independent kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in the Silvan district of Diyarbakır province during the 2024-2025 academic year. Research data were collected using a sociodemographic form and a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. The collected data were analyzed by the researcher using content analysis technique. The study found that participants did not perceive some of their behaviors as neglectful, yet these behaviors were identified as potential examples of neglectful behavior. The research also shows that parents with higher education levels have greater knowledge and awareness of neglect. At this point, it is considered important to inform parents about behaviors that could be examples of neglect. The study concluded that most participants had positive communication with the school and teachers, and that offering various training programs to parents within the framework of school-family cooperation could increase the effectiveness of these efforts to raise parents' knowledge and awareness levels.