Child Physical Abuse and the Related PTSD in Taiwan: The Role of Chinese Cultural Background and Victims' Subjective Reactions

• NCJ Number: 234298
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2011 Pages: 58-68
• Author(s): Chia-Ying Chou; Yi-Jen Su; Ho-Mao Wu; Sue-Huei Chen
• Date Published: January 2011
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): NSC-95-2625-Z-002-014
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Council, Taiwan
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the prevalence of child physical abuse and related post-traumatic stress disorder among adolescents in Taiwan.

Abstract

The study found that 34 percent of the children in the sample had been exposed to child physical abuse (CPA). The prevalence of full post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the sample was estimated to be 13.6 percent, while partial PTSD was estimated to be 16.9 percent. This study investigated the prevalence of CPA among a sample of adolescents in Taiwan, taking into account the more rigorous definitions of CPA within Chinese societies. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 4th through 8th grade adolescents (n=1,966) who were administered the Chinese version of the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-IV to investigate the lifetime exposure to CPA. The study results indicate that the prevalence of CPA in Taiwanese adolescents was greater than that found in Western countries, but less than what had been found in previous studies conducted in East Asian countries. These results indicate the significance of considering cultural background in defining CPA and examining CPA-related PTSD in children. Implications for future research are discussed. Tables, references, and appendix