Prevalence and characteristics of child physical abuse in Sweden - findings from a population-based youth survey

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica 2010-08, Vol.99 (8), p.1229-1236
• Main Authors: Annerbäck, E-M, Wingren, G, Svedin, CG, Gustafsson, PA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child physical abuse; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Disclosure - statistics & numerical data; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Miscellaneous; Models, Theoretical; Multivariate Analysis; Parent-Child Relations; Parental intimate-partner violence; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Sweden; Sweden - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01792.x

Aim:  To examine prevalence rates of child physical abuse perpetrated by a parent/caretaker, abuse characteristics and the extent of disclosures. Methods:  A population‐based survey was carried out in 2008 amongst all the pupils in three different grades (n = 8494) in schools in Södermanland County, Sweden. The pupils were asked about their exposure to violence and their experiences of parental intimate‐partner violence. Data were analysed with bi‐ and multivariate models and a comparison between means of accumulating risk factors between three groups were performed. Results:  A total of 15.2% of the children reported that they had been hit. There were strong associations between abuse and risk factors and there was a dose–response relationship between risks and reported abuse. It was shown that children who reported parental intimate‐partner violence were at a considerably higher risk for abuse than other children and that only 7% of the children exposed to violence had disclosed this to authorities. Conclusion: Even though child abuse in Sweden has decreased markedly during the last 40 years, violence against children is still a considerable problem. It is a challenge to develop methods of assessment and interventions that will ensure that the violence and its underlying causes are directly addressed.