[Prevalence and concurrent forms of violence against children in the Quebec population]

To date, the phenomenon of concurrent forms of violence against children has received little consideration from research. This study sought to determine the prevalence and cooccurrence of various forms of violence (physical, sexual and psychological).

A telephone survey was conducted with a representative sample of 822 Quebec adults.

More than one in three adults (36%) reported having experienced one form of violence in childhood. Ten percent (10%) of the adults experienced two forms of violence while 3% of the respondents reported having experienced all three forms of violence in childhood. Physical violence (22%) was the form most frequently reported, followed by psychological violence (16%) and sexual violence (14%). The different prevalence rates did not vary as a function of age. However, women were more likely to report having been sexually victimized (rape and fondling) and less likely to report having experienced physical violence.

These results, including both the global rates and those particular to each gender, are comparable to findings in similar North American studies. The co-occurrence noted is salient enough to necessitate particular attention to diverse clinical clientele and to be considered in future research exploring the risk factors of violence and its subsequent sequelae.