Educational and Socioeconomic Determinants of Parents’ Knowledge of Child Abuse in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria

Despite the enactment of the Child Rights Act and the growing advocacy for child protection in Nigeria, child abuse is a huge public health and social welfare problem. Parents have a key role to play in protecting children but their understanding of what is child abuse may be influenced by their education and social and economic status. The study looked both educational and socioeconomic factors influencing parents' knowledge of child abuse in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Specifically, the level of parents' knowledge about child abuse and the effect of educational level and socioeconomic status on parents' knowledge were evaluated. The results showed that parents' awareness of child abuse was moderate but there were significant gaps in their knowledge of child abuse law, such as the Child Rights Act, and of non-physical forms of child abuse. It was reported that parents' knowledge of child abuse was significantly and positively related to their educational level and socioeconomic status was significantly related to their understanding and awareness of child protection issues. The study recommended that there is a need for enhanced parental education and alleviation of socioeconomic inequalities to boost child protection systems in Nigeria. It calls for increased public education initiatives, community outreach parenting education initiatives and policy-level support for prioritising the inclusion of child protection education within adult literacy, health promotion and social welfare initiatives.