A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program on Child Abuse in terms of Knowledge among Parents in a Selected Community of Delhi

Abstract

Child abuse has serious physical, and psycho-social effect which adversely affect the health and overall well-being of a child. It is a worldwide problem. Child abuse can be in the form of physical abuse, when the child suffers bodily harm. It can be sexual abuse arising from subjecting the child to inappropriate exposure to sexual acts or materials or passive use of the child as sexual stimuli and/or actual sexual contacts. Child abuse can also be in the form of emotional abuse involving coercive, constant belittling, shaming, threatening, exposing the child to violence or abuse of others or any other demeaning acts. Lastly, child abuse can be in the form of child neglect, when an able caregiver fails to provide basic needs, adequate food, clothing, hygiene, supervision shelter, supervision, medical care, or support to the child.[1] Keeping this in mind a study was undertaken to assess the knowledge of selected parents about child abuse in a selected community of Delhi.30 parents from a selected community of Delhi were selected using Purposive sampling technique for the study in order to assess the knowledge score of Parents. The tools developed and used for data collection were structured knowledge questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics in terms of frequency, percentage, mean, SD, ‘t’ value and coefficient correlation. The major findings of the study were: the mean posttest knowledge score Of parents was significantly higher than the pre test knowledge score with a mean difference of 7.2. The obtained mean difference was found to be statistically significant as evident from the ‘t’ value of (8.40) for df (29) at 0.05 level of significance . Thus the structured teaching program was found to be effective in enhancing the knowledge of parents regarding child abuse.