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

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.