Investigation of perceived parental attitude in children exposed to sexual abuse: A case-control study

Background: The enduring impact of children being subjected to sexual abuse is characterized by lasting traumatic effects. Aims: This study aims to assess the influence of perceived parental attitudes on the incidence of sexual abuse in children who have experienced such abuse, comparing them with a control group. Methods: The research took place at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) of a hospital in northern Turkey and in the pediatric outpatient clinics of the same institution. The study evaluated 101 children who were exposed to sexual abuse and 100 children who were not. Data collection took place between November 2022 and August 2023. The study employed a ‘Descriptive Information Form’ and the ‘Parental Attitude Scale’ for both case and control groups. The t-test for independent samples, descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results: Analysis of scores from the Parental Attitude Scale revealed significantly lower mean scores in acceptance-involvement and strictness-supervision in the case group (p <.05). The mean scores for ‘acceptance-involvement’ (X¯ = 22.82 ± 6.26, X¯ = 25.71 ± 3.89) were highest in the case and control groups. Neglectful attitude (38.6%) was more prevalent in the case group, while the control group exhibited a higher frequency of democratic attitude (37%). In terms of predictors, acceptance-involvement (OR = 1.091, p =.005) and maternal employment (OR = 4.410, p <.001) were identified as the most significant predictors of exposed to sexual abuse. The study’s Cronbach’s alpha value for the scale was α =.743. Conclusion: The study’s findings on parental attitudes suggest a potential connection between children’s exposure to sexual abuse and inadequate parental acceptance, involvement, supervision, and control.