Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012 Jan;47(1):53-66. doi: 10.1007/s00127-010-0311-2. Epub 2010 Nov 13.
The objectives were first, to assess the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse among a stratified random sample of Kuwaiti high school students and second, to explore the association of child abuse with parental characteristics, subjective quality of life (QOL), self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.
We assessed the students for experience of abuse by their mothers, fathers, and others, using standard scales on psychological, physical and sexual abuse. They also completed the short version of the World Health Organization's QOL Instrument; the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and a scale for anxiety and depression.
We obtained responses from 4,467 students (49% boys), mean age 16.9 years. About 18, 15, and 18%, indicated that for at least six times in the past 12 months, they experienced psychological abuse by their mothers, fathers and others, respectively. The corresponding figures for lifetime experience were similar. The respective figures for experience of physical abuse during the past 12 months were 4.3, 5.8, and 6.4%. For lifetime experience, the corresponding figures were 3.4, 5.3, and 5.8%. The girls had significantly higher physical/psychological abuse scores. There were no significant gender differences in the prevalence of sexual attacks (8.6%) and someone threatening the subjects with sex (5.9%). The prevalence of someone sexually exposing themselves to the students (15.3%) and unwanted touching of sexual parts (17.4%) was significantly higher among the boys. Over one-third of those abused had experienced multiple abuses. Child abuse was significantly associated with parental divorce, diminished QOL and self-esteem, high scores on anxiety/depression, and difficulty with studies, and social relationships. In the regression analysis involving only the abuse indices, psychological abuse by mothers was the most important predictor of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem (11.5-19.7% of variance). Good quality of parental relationship seemed protective.
The findings support the impression that, despite the conservative culture, child abuse is being experienced by a significant number of children in the Arab world. Preventive education in this culture should include limits on child disciplinary measures, the vulnerable groups identified, the impact on psychosocial functioning, and the protective effect of parental harmony.
首先，评估分层随机抽样的科威特高中生一生中及过去 12 个月内身体、心理和性虐待的发生率；其次，探讨虐待与父母特征、主观生活质量（QOL）、自尊、焦虑和抑郁之间的关系。
我们使用心理、身体和性虐待的标准量表评估学生是否经历过来自母亲、父亲和其他人的虐待。他们还完成了世界卫生组织 QOL 工具的简短版本、罗森伯格自尊量表和焦虑抑郁量表。
我们收到了 4467 名学生（49%为男生）的回复，平均年龄为 16.9 岁。约 18%、15%和 18%的学生表示，在过去 12 个月中，他们至少有 6 次经历过来自母亲、父亲和其他人的心理虐待。一生中经历过心理虐待的相应比例相似。过去 12 个月内经历过身体虐待的比例分别为 4.3%、5.8%和 6.4%。一生中经历过身体虐待的比例分别为 3.4%、5.3%和 5.8%。女孩的身体/心理虐待得分明显较高。在性侵犯（8.6%）和有人威胁学生发生性行为（5.9%）的发生率方面，男女之间没有显著差异。男生中，有人向学生暴露自己的性器官（15.3%）和未经允许触摸性器官（17.4%）的发生率明显更高。超过三分之一遭受过虐待的学生经历过多种虐待。儿童虐待与父母离婚、生活质量和自尊下降、焦虑/抑郁评分高以及学习和社交关系困难显著相关。在仅涉及虐待指数的回归分析中，母亲的心理虐待是抑郁、焦虑和自尊的最重要预测因素（11.5-19.7%的方差）。良好的父母关系似乎具有保护作用。
这些发现支持了这样一种印象，即在阿拉伯世界，尽管文化保守，但仍有相当数量的儿童遭受虐待。在这种文化中，预防教育应包括限制儿童纪律措施、确定脆弱群体、对心理社会功能的影响以及父母和睦的保护作用。
