Cyber Child Abuse in Bangladesh: A Rural Population-Based Study

Background: Cyber abuse has become common among children worldwide; however, it is yet to receive attention in Bangladesh. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of cyber child abuse in the context of Bangladesh. Methods: This population-based study was conducted on 460 children aged between 11 to 17 years recruited from a selected rural area of Bangladesh by simple random sampling. A cyber abuse scale was developed to measure the prevalence of cyber child abuse. Data were collected with a semi-structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Results: Around 33 percent of children were internet users. The prevalence of at least one, two, and three form(s) of cyber abuses was 59 percent, 38 percent, and 26 percent, respectively, among the internet users. The commonly reported abuses were being subjected to bullying, mockery, rumor, or humiliation (36%), contacted anonymously with ill motive (29%), receiving sexually explicit message or comment (21%), and receiving sexually explicit picture or video (17%). Male children were victimized more by different forms of cyber abuse. Logistic regression analysis showed that children whose internet using periods are more and who have higher knowledge about cyber abuse are more likely to be victimized with cyber abuse. Conclusion: Cyber child abuse is a prevalent yet less explored public health threat in Bangladesh. Raising awareness against cyber abuse, educating children on prevention strategies, and imposing strict laws might help Bangladesh line up with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that the country signed in 1990.