Method
A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar.
A total of 300 questionnaires were completed (response rate =95%).
Results
Approximately 50% of parents were in between 30 and 39 years of age, 60 % of them were females.
 
Our study showed that 86 % of the respondents heard about child abuse. However, around half of participants have never witnessed any morbidities or mortalities due to child abuse or neglect in Qatar. Almost 50% of the respondents believe that child abuse isn’t a common problem in Qatar, while 30% were neutral and 20% agree and strongly agree. 

Around half of the respondents agree with the statement “Leaving a child (<5yrs) unattended at home is a form of neglect,while 42% were neutral .The majority of respondents strongly agree and agree with the statement “Parents should have at least 6 hours of direct interaction with children.
Interestingly, majority of respondents (83%) strongly agrees and agree with the statement “Teach our children about sexual abuse”. While 88% of them, consider children’s exposure to pornography on social media a form of abuse.

PARENTAL PERCEPTION OF NEGLECT AND SEXUAL CHILD ABUSE IN THE STATE OF QATAR