Characteristic and psychosocial consequences of sexually abused children referred to a tertiary care facility in Oman: Sentinel study

Abstract

Background: Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) has been reported from different parts of the world. With regard to countries in the Arabian Gulf, there have been some anecdotal and impressionistic observations of CSA and Oman is no exception. Aims: In order to lay the groundwork for empirical scrutiny of this phenomena, the present study elaborates on the description of the CSA along with exploring the socio-demographic and psychosocial consequences among children with a history of sexual abuse referred to a tertiary care center providing mental services catering to the needs of children and adolescents mental health services (CAMHS). Method: 34 children referred for a one-year period to the CAMHS fulfilled the criteria for inclusion of the study. Socio-demographic, CSA, and psychosocial information were collected for each subject. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to explore which variables associated with children having depressive symptoms. Result: Majority of children abused were female (64.7%, n ¼ 22), age below 12 years (67.6%, n ¼ 23), and with low family income (85.3%, n ¼ 29). Multivariate analysis shows that CSA and psychological variables were significant risk factors for depression. Children who were penetrative abused were more likely (OR ¼ 24.897, p ¼ 0.044) to have depression than non-penetrative children. Children who reported problems with sleep-wake cycles (OR ¼ 44.636, p ¼ 0.012) were more likely to occurrence of depressive symptoms than children who reported no such problem. Conclusion:The patterns of CSA and its consequences in Oman appears to echo the trends from other parts of the world. As the country is becoming increasingly aware of the international best practice towards CSA, this study will serve as a milestone for more studies in the area using robust methodology.

Socio-Cultural Constraints in Protecting Child Rights in a Society in Transition: A Review and Synthesis from Oman

“…The current literacy rate is estimated at 98.7% among 15-24-year-olds and 35.1% among senior citizens (>65 years) (UNESCO Institute for Statistic 2020). However, the issues pertinent to child abuse and neglect have received insufficient attention (Al Abduwani et al, 2017) despite anecdotal and impressionistic observations suggesting that Omani society is not immune to child abuse (Profanter 2009;Al-Mahroos 2007;Alshekaili et al 2020).…”

“…Most literature pertinent to child abuse and neglect is limited to cases of extreme maltreatment which necessitated medicolegal attention and documentation. These may include egregious cases related to sexual abuse (Alshekaili et al 2020), abandoning a child after an unwanted pregnancy, or the spectrum of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (Al-Saadoon et al 2012). Meanwhile, there is possible that socio-cultural constraints prevent much subtler yet debilitating forms of child maltreatment from reaching the scrutiny of biomedical care or the judicial system.…”

“…As most child maltreatment emanating from the region appears to be predominantly intrafamilial (Alshekaili et al 2020), it is likely that the caregivers in Oman genuinely perceive themselves as fulfilling their obligation to pattern their children according to their socio-cultural teaching to bring them up as competent members of the society (Bake and Dwairy 2003). Thus, parenting is strict and modeled with authoritarian structure (Bake and Dwairy 2003) and filial obedience on the part of the children is highly reinforced in Oman (Albelushi 2004).…”

The Emergence of Child Protection Capacities in Oman

“…In January 2020, a report was published on the characteristics and psychosocial effects of 34 children with a history of sexual abuse. 24 This primarily consisted of case descriptions. Many of the published reports aimed to increase the level of awareness about CM in Oman and advocated for better child supervision and the establishment of an effective CPS [ Table 2 ].…”

“… 30 , 31 However, it was a study with a small sample size and it included only cases referred for rehabilitation, which could have had biases due to the culture around female sexual abuse compared to male sexual abuse. 24 …”