Prevalence of sexual abuse among secondary school students in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: Child sexual abuse is a public health problem that has been found to be linked to negative health outcomes. Unreported or untreated cases not only scar the children and destroy the families but also leave the... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives: Child sexual abuse is a public health problem that has been found to be linked to negative health outcomes. Unreported or untreated cases not only scar the children and destroy the families but also leave the perpetrators free to abuse in future. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of sexual abuse among secondary school students and to identify the perpetrators of sexual abuse.

Methods: A cross-sectional, national survey utilizing ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool Children’s Version (ICAST-CH), supported by a grant from King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) was conducted in secondary schools in the five main regions of Saudi Arabia. Boys and girls, public and private schools were selected to participate. Students (N=16,010) aged 15-18 years were invited to complete the survey.

Results: Participant’s mean age 16.8±0.9 years, and 51% boys. Eighty one percent lived with both-parents, 6.2% with single parent, and 2.5% with step-parent. Sixteen percent of the participants reported being any type of sexual abused during their lives and boys experienced significantly higher rates of sexual abuse compared to girls (p<0.01). More than a quarter (26%) of the abused participants reported that they were forced to have sexual intercourse. Fifty eight percent of the perpetrators were reported to be adult and 63% were well known by the victims. Forceful sexual intercourse by the adult perpetrators were found to be higher among girls (p<0.01). In terms of living arrangement, forceful sexual intercourse was found to be higher when participants lived with their step-parent and extended family (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Early intervention programs are required to break the cycle of exploitation and abuse that children experienced within the family. Without proper intervention, children might be at risk of future exploitation and re-victimization.