Exploring Maternal Knowledge and Attitudes on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Mixed Methods Approach in an Urban Indian Community

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a major public health issue with lasting psychological and social consequences. Mothers, as primary caregivers, are pivotal in early detection and prevention. This study assessed mothers’ knowledge and attitudes toward CSA prevention and explored their perceptions, cultural influences, and barriers. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was adopted. Quantitatively, a cross-sectional survey among 30 randomly selected mothers in Taramani, Chennai, assessed knowledge (15 items) and attitudes (14 Likert-scale items). Qualitatively, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 purposively selected mothers from varied educational and occupational backgrounds to capture experiences and beliefs. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and thematic analysis. Findings showed 77% of mothers had inadequate knowledge of CSA, while 46.6% expressed positive attitudes toward prevention. No significant associations were found between knowledge or attitude and demographic variables (p > 0.05). Qualitative themes revealed cultural silence, misconceptions regarding perpetrators, gendered beliefs, reliance on media over health workers, and mothers’ readiness for preventive education. Integration illustrated convergence between poor knowledge and misconceptions, while complementarity revealed mothers’ willingness to learn despite social taboos. The study highlights the urgent need for structured, culturally sensitive, community-based interventions to strengthen mothers’ knowledge and translate positive attitudes into practice. Mixed methods enabled a holistic understanding, emphasizing that while mothers are receptive, social stigma and lack of accurate information remain significant barriers to CSA prevention.