Child abuse and neglect in a rapidly developing country: Parents' perspectives

Abstract

Purpose: To identify parental awareness and knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect in the State of Qatar. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation, the only tertiary pediatric hospital in the State of Qatar at the time of the study. Parents of children of all ages were offered a questionnaire that included demographic details, parental knowledge, and awareness of child abuse and neglect. Results: 300 questionnaires were completed (response rate = 95%). More than 70% of parents were older than 30 years of age, 60% of them were females, and 66% were college graduates. The majority of the participants stated their familiarity about child abuse, and 6% witnessed morbidity or mortality due to child abuse in the society. Despite the identified laws, only 50% of the parents were aware of laws restricting child abuse. In regards to children with special needs, only 16% of the participants agreed that disabled children are at a higher risk of abuse compared to healthy children, while 33% were neutral and 52% disagreed. In addition, one-fifth of the respondents stated that hitting is discipline, while 63% disagreed. Almost one-third of the respondents agreed that hitting hands and buttock or hitting with soft objects is acceptable form of discipline. Unexpectedly, one-quarter of participants stated that it is okay to hit a child as long as no damage incurs. As for verbal abuse, around one-third of parents stated that yelling is not a form of child abuse, and that yelling does not affect growth and development. Comparing both corporal and verbal abuse, approximately 70% of parents stated that yelling is less harmful than hitting. In terms of child neglect, around half of the respondents agreed with the statement “Leaving a child (<5 years) unattended at home is a form of neglect,” while 42% were neutral. Finally, approximately 50% of the participants believed that it is okay to depend on nannies in assisting their children in eating and using the bathroom. Conclusion: Parents residing in the State of Qatar believe that they have a good knowledge regarding child abuse and neglect. However, this study shows many deficiencies in parental knowledge of child abuse and neglect. Parents’ attitudes and perceptions are considered indispensable targets for community health intervention.

Extents of abuse and behavioural disorders in autistic children who were abused and who were not abused

“…Barzeva et al (2019) showed that neglect and physical and sexual abuse are the most common types of abuse for these children. Hendaus et al (2020) showed that the most prominent thing that children with autism are exposed to is their contempt, underestimation, blame and deprivation of their legal rights, which makes them suffer from the inability to communicate with society. Cidav, Xie and Mandell (2018) indicated that there is a relationship between autistic child abuse and disability conditions, in addition to being less able to defend themselves compared to ordinary children when interacting with others.…”

Qatari mothers’ beliefs in child disciplinary methods and their reported use: A cross‐sectional study

“…These findings are in line with the most recent study in Qatar determining parental views on child abuse and neglect where 63 per cent of parents were against hitting as a form of discipline and 62.8 per cent acknowledged that yelling is a form of child abuse. However, one quarter considered it acceptable to hit a child provided no injury resulted (Hendaus et al, 2020). That study differs from the present one in that it did not restrict itself to Qatari nationals but included residents in Qatar without giving their countries of origin.…”

“…Moreover, a study found that mothers in nine low-and middle-income countries who believed VDMs are necessary to rear their child were eight times more likely to report that they or another caregiver had used physical and psychological violence on their child (Lansford et al, 2014). As mentioned above, the study in Qatar by Hendaus et al (2020) also points to a disconnect between belief and action. In addition, in Saudi Arabia, a neighbouring country to Qatar that shares multiple similarities in terms of historical, cultural, economic, as well as religious context, has a similar pattern to that observed in our study as parents who believed that it was acceptable to hit their child as form of discipline, or that hitting their child was not a form of child abuse, were significantly more likely to use VDMs (Al Dosari et al, 2017).…”

Parents’ Knowledge and Perception of Child Abuse and Neglect in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

“…The questionnaire was developed considering previous studies carried out in the Middle East. [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 ] Participants’ knowledge was classified into three response categories (agree, disagree, or don’t know), and their perception was recorded using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree).…”