The relationship between perceived parental physical availability and child sexual,physical and emotional abuse among high school students in the Northern Province,South Africa

This is an investigation into the relationship between perceived parental physical availability and child sexual, physical and emotional abuse among high school students in the Northern Province (South Africa). All the secondary school students in standards 9 and 10 in three secondary schools filled in a retrospective self-rating questionnaire in a classroom setting. The questionnaire asked questions about perceived parental physical availability during childhood, and childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Logistic Regression Analysis shows that among all the participants, “haven ever had a stepfather or adoptive father until he or she was at least 16 years old” and again, “haven ever had a stepfather or adoptive father until he or she was at least 16 years old” and “haven lived in a ‘group home’ until he or she was at least 16 years”; and “haven been raised by any other adult” predict child sexual, physical and emotional abuse, respectively. Mental health and social workers, educators and law enforcement agencies dealing with prevention and protection against child abuse in the Province should take note of the above identified predictors while designing programmes for the eradication of child sexual, physical and emotional abuse.