PARENTS AWARENESS RELATED TO CHILD ABUSE MEASURES: A SAUDI COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY
AbstractBackground: Child abuse is a common episode, but rarely predictable. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the parent’s awareness related to child abuse measures. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional survey of 400 Saudi parents about child abuse-related factors. All participants were 20 years or older. Results: Out of the 400 parents, 96/400(24%) (41/175 (23.4%) were fathers, and 55/225 (24.4%) were mothers), have witnessed child abuse during the past 12 months. The most reported type of child abuse was the physical followed by verbal and psychological, representing 42/96 (43.8%), 28/96 (29.2%), and 21/96 (21.9%), respectively. About 19/41 (46.3%) and 10/41 (24.4%) of the fathers have witnessed physical and psychological abuse correspondingly, whereas, around 23/55 (41.8%), and 20/55 (36.4%) of the mothers have reported physical and verbal abuse in this order. Out of the 41 children reported by fathers, 18/41(44%) were males, and 23/41(56%) were females, hence, out of the 55 children witnessed by mothers, 23/55 (42%) were males, and 32/55 (58%) were females. Conclusion: Child abuse is common in Saudi Arabia, with the most frequent being physical, verbal, and emotional. Fathers possessed higher levels of awareness towards child abuse-related factors compared to mothers.
Article Information
53
3529-3534
710
635
English
IJPSR
F. S. Alreshidi
Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ha’il, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
fs.alreshidi@uoh.edu.sa
23 April 2020
26 June 2020
30 June 2020
10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.11(7).3529-34
01 July 2020