The Attitude of Young Adults on Child Abuse-A Community Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Summary: Background: Identifying the attitude of young adults towardschild abuse has a significant role in sensitizing them to theissue, which would bring about a positive change in our society at large. This study aims to assess young adults’ attitudes towards child abuse and find the association between their attitudes and the selected socio-demographic variables. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out in the community of Udupi district, Karnataka, among 200 young adults. They were assessed by a self-report attitude scale and a socio-economic status scale. Results: The majority of the respondents (98.0%) had a negative attitude towards child abuse. 59% believed that most of the abuse was perpetrated by people known to the children, and 72.5% strongly agreed that disciplining children can be achieved through dialogue. 44.5% of the respondents believed that society is not taking an active role in child protection. Conclusion: Studying people’s attitudes on a social issue creates awareness. This study provided insight into young adults’ awareness of the importance of child protection, as expressed by their negative outlook towards child abuse.