Abstract

Background: Child abuse is a main health problem all over the world. Objectives: The aim of this study was to extend our understanding about offenders of child abuse in different domains. Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey on 700 students in secondary schools using multiple cluster sampling in Yazd, Iran in 2013. We applied 2 self-reported questionnaires: a standard self-reported valid and reliable questionnaire for recording child abuse and DASS (depression anxiety stress scales)-42 for assessing mental disorders and another part about perpetrators (parents, relatives, friends or classmates, school teachers and coaches, strangers). The collected data was analyzed using SPSS software. P values < 0.05 were considered as significant. Results: School parents, more than the other groups were guilty in severe forms of all domains. Parents neglected totally 97 (26.7 ) students in a variety of intensity, abused psychologically 90 (28.3), physically 58 (25.6) and even sexually in 29 (15.3) cases. Moreover, parents were also responsible for severe physical abuse of 69 (30.4) and strangers in severe sexual of 105 (55.5) students (P value < 0.05). Psychological abuse was more probable in girls (OR: 2.3, P value < 0.001) and physical in boys (OR: 1.5, P value: 0.01). The students who had parents with substance abuse problem reported neglect 3.1, psychological 2.1, physical 2.07 and sexual abuse 2.04 more than other adolescents (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: Understanding about offenders of child abuse would reveal findings that could be an alarm for decision makers' intervention programming aimed at reducing child abuse.