Perceived Parental Disorders as Risk Factors for Child Sexual, Physical and Emotional Abuse among High School Students in the Northern Province, South Africa.

Abstract

This is an investigation into the perceived parental disorders as risk factors for child sexual, physical and emotional abuse among high school students in the northern Province (South Africa). Four hundred and fourteen secondary school students in standard 9 and 10 in 3 secondary schools filled in a retrospective self-rating questionnaire in a classroom setting. The questionnaire asked questions about perceived parental disorders, and childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Logistic Regression Analysis shows that among all the participants, `parent haven gone into a psychiatric hospital for psychiatric problems', `parent hitting or beating up another parent' and parent having problems with drugs or alcohol' are risk factors for child sexual, physical and emotional abuse respectively. Mental health and social workers, educators and law enforcement agencies dealing with prevention and protection against child abuse in the province should take note of the above identified risk factors while designing programmes for the eradication of child sexual, physical and emotional abuse. >IFE Psychologia (2002) 10(1), 28-43