Degradation of parental bonding and violence against children: The use of family genogram in the pediatric clinic

Abstract

Objective: To demonstrate the importance of using the family genogram in pediatric consultation, as an analysis tool to evaluate the degradation of parental bonding and also violence against children. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2011 wherein 63 children, aged between 2 and 6 years, enrolled in a slum nursery, was studied. In order to construct the genogram, data were collected in four stages: pediatric evaluation at nursery; interview with caregivers; interview with teachers; and interview with the nursery coordinator. The data about the families were used to construct the genograms with the aid of GenoPro®-2016 software. In order to evaluate the quality of bonding, the following items were included in the genograms: violence against children, drug addiction, neglect, mental disorder, type of relationship among family members. Results: The evaluated children and their families generated 55 genograms. In 38 of them, functional family arrangements, and close or very close emotional ties were observed. In 17 cases, situations involving physical, emotional, or sexual violence against children were perceived. Among these, four represented extreme cases, with fraying parental bonding, and dysfunctional family arrangements. In these families, chemical addiction was prevalent among multiple members, as well as severe mental disorder, persistent physical and verbal abuse, and sexual abuse. Conclusions: The use of the genogram helps to identify at an early stage the degradation of parental bonding and violence against children, and when it is incorporated into the pediatric practice routine, it may contribute to the promotion of the comprehensive health care of the child, regardless of the presence of social vulnerability.