Prevalence and contributing factors of childhood Physical abuse and neglect in household among School children,arba minch town, south ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Though millions of children around the world are the victims and witnesses of physical violence, every child has the right to health and a life free from violence. On the other hand child right conventions like African charter for child right, international child right convention ratified by Ethiopiaa and constition of the country were strategies to minimize any cruel and inhuman treatments against children. The most common perpetrators of child abuse are parents. To protect children from harm associated with physical abuse, and neglect, it is necessary to identify, magnitude and contributing factors of childhood physical abuse and neglect. Therefore this study aims to evaluate the prevalence and contributing factors to lifetime childhood physical abuse and neglect among school children in study area. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Childhood Physical Abuse and Neglect in Household among School children, Arba Minch Town. Methods: Institution based cross sectional study design was employed from March 11-17/2014. The sample size of 737 was selected through multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were collected through face to face interview from 7th to 10th grade students. The data analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multiple variable analyses were done. Result A total of 713(96.7 %.) school children were included in the analysis. Among them, 453(63.5%) students were faced childhood physical abuse by their parents and 345(48.5%) school children were neglected. From the study participants, female school children, AOR =1.95, 95% CI: (1.3, 3.0), were more likely exposed to child physical abuse. Those aged 16 to 18, children live with both parents and children who lived in the household of no frequent domestic violence and those grew in urban setting were less likely exposed to physical abuse when compared to aged 13- 15 years old, those live only with one parent, child who lived in households with less domestic violence and children grew up in rural, respectively. On the other hand children grew in the rural area, those in household where there was frequent domestic violence and male children were more neglected when compared with those upbring in urban, and those dwell in less domestic violence and female ones. Students with age range of 16-18years, and those children live with two parents and those not faced childhood physical abuse were less likely neglected their children when compared with counter settings. Conclusion: Majority of children were experienced childhood physical abuse and neglect in the study area. Control and prevention of child physical abuse and neglect should take place at house hold level considering gender isssues, child right, and age of children by creating awareness