Peer-reviewed article
Adult respondents' perceptions of child abuse and formal child-protection institutions in Palestine and Jordan: a cross-sectional online survey.
Amouri M, Deeb S, Sourkhi N, Issa R, Faqih O et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 779 adults in Palestine and Jordan about their perceptions of child abuse and formal child-protection institutions. Respondents strongly endorsed the need for specialized staff expertise and accountability for perpetrators, but had lower confidence in institutional trust and legitimacy. Media exposure to child-protection issues was particularly low. Cross-country differences were minimal, and the findings reflect online respondents rather than nationally representative populations.
Key points
- Punitive orientation toward perpetrators was highest (73.35/100), and respondents valued required staff expertise (73.28/100)
- Institutional trust and legitimacy scored below the midpoint (49.76/100), indicating low confidence in formal protection systems
- Media exposure to child-protection issues was lowest among all domains measured (39.58/100)
- Substantial uncertainty existed about staff qualities: 16.2% of respondents were uncertain about all nine staff-quality items
- Income was the most consistent sociodemographic correlate with perceptions, though overall explanatory power was modest
Limitations
The study is not nationally representative as it used online surveying, which may exclude populations without internet access or digital literacy. The substantial levels of uncertainty about staff qualities limit confidence in conclusions about perceptions of institutional competence.
Abstract
Background Public responses to child abuse depend on recognition of harm, knowledge of reporting pathways, perceived credibility of formal institutions, and broader social norms. This study examined these perceptions among adult online respondents in Palestine and Jordan. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey from 25 January to 12 April 2026 among adults residing in Palestine or Jordan. The Arabic questionnaire included 54 items covering sociodemographic characteristics and seven attitudinal domains: institutional trust and legitimacy, required staff expertise, perceived staff qualities, perpetrator accountability, institutional response orientation, media exposure, and punitive orientation. Composite scores were standardized to a 0-100 metric. Because "I do not know/cannot say for sure" responses were common for staff-quality items, uncertainty was analyzed descriptively and in sensitivity analyses. Results The analytic sample included 779 respondents, 391 from Palestine and 388 from Jordan. The highest standardized means were observed for punitive orientation (73.35 ± 23.35) and required staff expertise (73.28 ± 19.62), whereas institutional trust and legitimacy remained below the midpoint (49.76 ± 17.24) and media exposure was lowest (39.58 ± 23.05). Staff-quality uncertainty was substantial: item-level uncertainty ranged from 30.4 to 39.0%, the mean number of uncertainty responses was 3.07 ± 3.37 across nine items, and 16.2% selected uncertainty for all nine items. Cross-country differences were generally small and were not significant after adjustment for measured sociodemographic covariates. Income was the most consistent measured correlate, but multivariable models explained modest variance (R 2 range: 0.016-0.054). Sensitivity analyses for staff qualities did not materially change the main country-comparison findings. Conclusion Among adult online respondents in Palestine and Jordan, endorsement of institutional involvement, multidisciplinary expertise, and perpetrator accountability exceeded confidence in institutions and procedural knowledge. These findings are not nationally representative.