A comparative study of the play patterns of normal and physically abused children

• Main Authors: Cruz, Anna Carmela G., Garcia, Christine Len R.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1999
• Subjects: Play assessment (Child psychology); Behavioral assessment of children; Abused children > Psychology; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/4433
• Institution: De La Salle University

Play gives the child a chance to be in an unthreatening situation wherein he or she is free to express him or herself in whatever possible way. It is through play that a child could freely interact with other children and adult as well. This paper focuses on the play patterns of normal and physically abused children. A time sampling technique using the direct observational method was utilized in observing the children. Twenty children, 10 of which were normal children and the other ten were physically abused children were observed. Through the observations of the play behavior of the children, it was assessed that there were a number of similarities and differences in their play behavior. Normal children usually engage in play activities that would involve other children while physically abused children would rather play by themselves than interact with other children and this difference in the play behavior between normal and physically abused children lie in the fact that the trauma that these physically abused children experienced is manifested through their play.