Nepali school teachers' perceptions of child abuse in Dhulikhel municipality: A qualitative study

Child abuse is a global public health concern with long-term behavioral, psychological, and physical health consequences. Schools play a crucial role in addressing abuse, with teachers uniquely positioned to observe signs of abuse, such as behavioral changes.

To explore teachers' perceptions of child abuse, existing support systems, and barriers to addressing it.

Thirty-three teachers from different public and private schools in Dhulikhel Municipality, Bagmati Province, Nepal, were purposefully selected.

After obtaining informed written consent, a qualitative study was conducted using five focus group discussions. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed in Nepali, translated into English, and analyzed using content analysis.

Teachers identified various forms of child abuse, including culturally-specific practices such as forcing children to eat against their will, parental pressure for academic performance, making children perform hard physical work without food and/or assigning tasks beyond their physical capacity, and caste-based discrimination. Some misconceptions about child abuse included normalizing excessive academic pressure on students and equating substance (drug) use with child abuse. Participants perceived key risk factors for child abuse as child disability, poverty, low parental education, and weak law enforcement, whereas protective factors were teachers' awareness and collaboration. Teachers expressed a strong interest in receiving training to better identify and respond to cases of child abuse.

Teachers showed a generally accurate but limited understanding of child abuse. These findings can guide training programs and updates to local child protection policies in Nepal.