Child maltreatment and abuse in educational and training institutions: from the analysis of the phenomenon to the definition of prevention and intervention actions for a model of good treatment

Abstract

The paper presents the theme of child maltreatment in education and training institutions and conducts an analysis of these types of violence according to the
model proposed by the WHO in 1999. Operating under the important distinction
between “abuse of means of correction” and “maltreatment”, we explore the organizational and institutional dynamics that legitimize these behaviors and the cultural scaffolding that sustains them over time. The article outlines the protective and risk factors of institutional violence in an educational context and the paths of prevention and management of such occurrences. Our aim is to start developing an awareness of this phenomenon in order to build a culture in the world of educational institutions that is based on good treatment and respect for the needs of the child, and the responsibility for which is assumed by the institution and the individual educator.