Investigation of the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Its Influencing Factors by Parents

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of child abuse is increasing globally, and this form of abuse can lead to severe and long-term problems in adulthood. In Iran, child abuse ranks as the most common form of domestic violence. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of abuse and its influencing factors among elementary school children. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2023 in the city of Abadan. A total of 378 students from grades two to six in seven schools were selected using cluster and random sampling methods. The research instruments included a demographic questionnaire and a standard child abuse questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS21 software, with both descriptive and analytical statistics applied. Results: The average age of the children was 10.43 years. The most common form of child abuse reported was parental neglect, with a prevalence of 75.53%. A significant relationship was found between physical abuse and factors such as the father's education (P = 0.001), parental illness (P = 0.001), parental addiction (P = 0.006), and parents' divorce (P = 0.03). Additionally, psychological abuse was significantly associated with the mother's education (P = 0.001), parental addiction (P = 0.02), loneliness at home (P = 0.002), and the child's grade (P = 0.001). Parental neglect showed a significant relationship with the child's grade (P = 0.014), birth order (P = 0.004), and place of living (P = 0.053). Conclusions: The most common form of abuse among students was parental neglect. A lack of parental awareness regarding appropriate child-rearing behaviors can contribute to child abuse. Therefore, it is recommended that schools and other relevant institutions increase efforts to educate parents on preventing various forms of abuse.