Experiences of child advocacy center staff on child abuse and neglet: A qalitative study

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the experiences, problems, and coping methods of the health personnel involved in the forensic interview process at the Child Monitoring Center. Methods: In this study, a qualitative research design with a descriptive phenomenological approach was adopted. The research was carried out at the Child Monitoring Center within Erzurum City Hospital between July 2023 and March 2024. The research was conducted with six forensic interviewers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the interviewers using an interview form prepared in accordance with the working areas and interview processes of forensic interviewers, and the interview records were evaluated using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results: As a result of the analysis of the interviews, four recurring main themes and a total of ten sub-themes with varying numbers under each theme were identified. These themes are general views about abuse, professional experiences, problems encountered during the forensic interview process, and emotional issues. Concrete quotes from the participants' discourses are given for each main theme. Conclusion: Family neglect and lack of love have been identified as the most important factors leading to child abuse. Participants reported experiencing emotional symptoms such as distrust, prejudice, and aggression, as well as psychosomatic symptoms such as pain, nausea, and sleep disorders. They use distraction methods to cope with this stress.