Awareness and recognition on signs and symptoms of child sexual abuse (CSA) among Malaysian parents of Malay, Chinese and Indian Descent

ABSTRACT The number of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) cases in Malaysia has increased over the years but many have gone unreported. The current study thus aimed to investigate the awareness and recognition on signs and symptoms of CSA among Malaysian parents of Malay, Chinese and Indian descent. A total of 402 multi-ethnic parents participated in this quantitative, cross-sectional, and interviewer-administered survey. Prior to the study, informed consent was obtained from the respondents. The CSA Myth Scale and the Recognition on Signs and Symptoms of CSA Scale were used to measure the variables of the study. The findings indicated that Malaysian Indian (MI) parents have the highest awareness and knowledge of CSA, while the Malaysian Chinese (MC) parents have the lowest. The Malaysian Malay (MM) parents have average awareness and knowledge of CSA. Moreover, it was found that less than half of the 402 respondents were able to positively identify the signs and symptoms of CSA and that 41.8% of the respondents believed that their children would never be sexually abused. Further probing is henceforth warranted to ascertain the reason(s) for their confidence. Finally, this study has helped close the knowledge gap by providing a peek into the awareness and knowledge of CSA among Malaysian parents of the three major ethnicities in the country.