Association between childhood emotional abuse with self-esteem among students in Dar es salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Emotional abuse is the mostly widespread type of childhood experience which result from the following aspects: the relationship between a parent and a child, the interaction that shapes the relationship, and potentially harmful interactions which may lead into impairment on a child’s developmental and emotional health. This form of abuse is believed to affect the overall psychological adjustment of the child as a result, victims may experience psychological distress with symptoms of low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. This study investigates association between emotional abuse with self- esteem among students in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, community-based study of secondary school students that was conducted in randomly selected schools in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. The data collection process started July 2019 and was completed in July 2020. Each participant was contacted and informed about the purpose of the research, confidentiality issues, and reporting of the results. A multistage cluster sampling technique was employed to obtain a required number of the study participants. Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) questionnaires were used to measure the variables under this study.