Awareness of child abuse and neglect among students

Abstract

Objectives: This descriptive study was conducted to determine the level of awareness of child abuse and neglect (CAN) among students at a private university in Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: The study sample comprised 1533 students from all faculties and colleges of the university selected using the stratified sampling method. A demographic information form and the Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Scale (CANAS) were used to collect the study data. Results: The findings revealed that 30.5% of the students had received some instruction about CAN and 72.9% indicat- ed that they wanted lectures on CAN to be added to the curriculum. The mean total score of the CANAS and the mean scores of the physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect subscales were statistically significantly higher among fe- male students (p