Abstract Aim: Child abuse is a major global public health concern with serious physical, psychological, and social consequences for children. Limited parental knowledge and awareness contribute significantly to its persistence. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured, community-based educational intervention on mothers’ knowledge and attitude regarding child abuse prevention in the selected rural areas of India. Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was adopted. A total of 100 mothers of children up to 12 years of age were selected using a nonprobability convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a validated self-structured knowledge questionnaire and a three-point Likert attitude scale. Following the preintervention assessment, a structured, community-based educational intervention on child abuse prevention was delivered. Postintervention assessment was conducted after 15 days. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the data analysis. Results: Before the intervention, 48% of mothers had inadequate knowledge and 78% exhibited a negative attitude toward child abuse prevention. After the intervention, 85% of mothers demonstrated adequate knowledge and 92% showed a positive attitude. The mean knowledge score increased significantly from 9.40 ± 2.10 to 17.80 ± 3.50, while the mean attitude score improved from 16.30 ± 2.20 to 33.10 ± 4.10 ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: The structured, community-based educational intervention was effective in significantly improving mothers’ knowledge and fostering a positive attitude toward child abuse prevention. Such interventions can play a vital role in strengthening parental awareness, enhancing child protection, and promoting safe family environments in rural settings.
Kapoor et al. (Thu,) studied this question.