Prévalence et cooccurrence de la violence envers les enfants dans la population québécoise

Abstract

Objective: To date, the phenomenon of concurrent forms of violence against children has received little consideration from research. This study sought to determine the prevalence and co-occurrence of various forms of violence (physical, sexual and psychological). Method: A telephone survey was conducted with a representative sample of 822 Quebec adults. Results: More than one in three adults (36%) reported having experienced one form of violence in childhood. Ten percent (10%) of the adults experienced two forms of violence while 3% of the respondents reported having experienced all three forms of violence in childhood. Physical violence (22%) was the form most frequently reported, followed by psychological violence (16%) and sexual violence (14%). The different prevalence rates did not vary as a function of age. However, women were more likely to report having been sexually victimized (rape and fondling) and less likely to report having experienced physical violence. Discussion: These results, including both the global rates and those particular to each gender, are comparable to findings in similar North American studies. The co-occurrence noted is salient enough to necessitate particular attention to diverse clinical clientele and to be considered in future research exploring the risk factors of violence and its subsequent sequelae.