The Prevalence and Forms of Child Abuse Among King Saud University Students in Riyadh City , Saudi Arabia

Background: Child abuse is any action by another person adult or child, that causes significant harm to a child. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence, forms and outcomes of child abuse among king Saud University students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among King Saud University students in Riyadh city during educational year 2015 2016. Data was collected by using standardized, pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. A two stages random sampling method was used for the selection of participants. Results: A total of 434 students aged between 18 and 24 years participated in this study. Most of them (91%) reported experiencing some forms of abuse during childhood. Physical and emotional forms were recalled by 83.9% and 74.9% of students respectively, while 38.5% reported exposure to some sexually inappropriate behaviors. Stranger (not a family member) persons were the common offenders in emotional and sexual abuse, whereas parents were in physical abuse. The exposure to abuse was significantly associated with existence of parents or adults in home arguing with each other and parents or adults in home who hit one another (p-value < 0.000 and 0.004 respectively). Conclusion and Recommendations: Child abuse represents a public health problem, and there is association between family circumstances and its occurrence. Programs for prevention of child abuse and for treating and rehabilitating victims are urgently needed.