Nursing Students' Perceptions of Child Abuse and Factors Influencing Those Perceptions

Ha, Young Ok

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate perceptions of child abuse and factors influencing those perceptions among nursing students.
METHODS
A descriptive research design was used with a convenience sample of 669 nursing students. Data was collected from September 1 to 25, 2016 using self-report questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis in SPSS for Windows version 21.0.
RESULTS
The mean score for perceptions of child abuse was 3.52±0.41, and the scores by subcategory were as follows: physical abuse, 3.61±0.39; emotional abuse, 3.54±0.53; neglect, 3.17±0.69; sexual abuse, 3.85±0.35. A significant correlation was found between perceptions of child abuse and parental acceptance-rejection attitude (warmth/affection, indifference/neglect, undifferentiated rejection). The factors influencing perceptions of child abuse were gender, experiences of child abuse, and perceived parental attitudes of warmth/affection and undifferentiated rejection, which explained 5.1% of the variances.
CONCLUSION
Based on the finding of this study, educational programs and guidelines should be developed to help nursing students improve their perceptions of child abuse.