Child Abuse Perpetrators of Iranian Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Child abuse is a main health problem all over the world. Objectives: The aim of this study was to extend our understanding about offenders of child abuse in different domains. Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey on 700 students in secondary schools using multiple cluster sampling in Yazd, Iran in 2013. We applied 2 self-reported questionnaires: a standard self-reported valid and reliable questionnaire for recording child abuse and DASS (depression anxiety stress scales)-42 for assessing mental disorders and another part about perpetrators (parents, relatives, friends or classmates, school teachers and coaches, strangers). The collected data was analyzed using SPSS software. P values < 0.05 were considered as significant. Results: School parents, more than the other groups were guilty in severe forms of all domains. Parents neglected totally 97 (26.7 %) students in a variety of intensity, abused psychologically 90 (28.3%), physically 58 (25.6%) and even sexually in 29 (15.3%) cases. Moreover, parents were also responsible for severe physical abuse of 69 (30.4%) and strangers in severe sexual of 105 (55.5%) students (P value < 0.05). Psychological abuse was more probable in girls (OR: 2.3, P value < 0.001) and physical in boys (OR: 1.5, P value: 0.01). The students who had parents with substance abuse problem reported neglect 3.1, psychological 2.1, physical 2.07 and sexual abuse 2.04 more than other adolescents (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: Understanding about offenders of child abuse would reveal findings that could be an alarm for decision makers’ intervention programming aimed at reducing child abuse.