Dataset Information

The prevalences, changes, and related factors of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been extensive and drastic during the twenty-first century. The increasing phenomenon of child maltreatment during the pandemic is a significant public health concern.

Objective

This study is the first systematic review to analyze and summarize the prevalence rates, risk factors, and protective factors related to child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase) were systematically searched. Some potential studies were also identified from the reference lists of previously included articles. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool and Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Quality Assessment Tool.

Results

A total of 35 articles were included in the analysis, with 16 having prevalence information and 22 having factor information. Sixteen studies were conducted in the US, the other 17 studies were from 12 countries, and only two studies contained mixed countries. The prevalences of child maltreatment during the pandemic varied widely in different types and measurements. The pandemic rates of physical abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse were 0.1 %-71.2 %, and 4.9 %-61.8 %, 7.3 %-40 % and 1.4 %-19.5 %, respectively. There was a decline in allegations of child maltreatment and an increase in severe cases of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown measures and their side effects were the main risk factors contributing to child maltreatment.

Conclusions

This review calls for targeted measures to prevent child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and current and future lockdowns and more future replication studies conducted in countries other than the US.

SUBMITTER: Huang N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9755012 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The prevalences, changes, and related factors of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

Huang Ning N Yang Fan F Liu Xiaohan X Bai Yashuang Y Guo Jing J Riem Madelon M E MME

Child abuse & neglect 20221216

<h4>Background</h4>The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been extensive and drastic during the twenty-first century. The increasing phenomenon of child maltreatment during the pandemic is a significant public health concern.<h4>Objective</h4>This study is the first systematic review to analyze and summarize the prevalence rates, risk factors, and protective factors related to child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>Four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scop ...[more]

PMID: 36549089

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThere is no global consensus on whether pandemic-related factors are related to child abuse. How the pandemic reinforces the risk factors of child abuse might depend largely on individuals' current and past lifestyles in each country. Some changes of lifestyles continue after the pandemic, and it is important to understand which factors are strongly associated with child abuse. We analyzed the pandemic-related characteristics of offenders and non-offenders of self-reported child physical abuse from Internet survey data in Japan and discussed how the pandemic affected physical child abuse and what caused the difference by gender.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study on physical child abuse by caregivers based on the Internet survey conducted from September to October 2021. We divided the participants who were living with their child aged less than 14 years into offenders and non-offenders based on the answer to the question about physical child abuse. The population distribution of the sample was compared to that of caregivers under the same conditions in a large Japanese dataset. The association between their characteristics and physical child abuse was analyzed by univariable and multivariable analysis.ResultsThe caregivers analyzed in the cohort had similar population distributions to those in the large Japanese dataset. As risk factors of male offenders, "work from home 4-7 days/week," "decreased work," "normal relationships with household members (compared to good relationships)," "COVID-19 infected, both themselves and household members, within a year," "unwillingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination because the license process of the vaccine is doubtful," "high levels of benevolent sexism," and "history of child abuse" were observed. As risk factors of female offenders, "bad relationships with household members (compared to good relationships)," "fear of COVID-19," "COVID-19 infected, both themselves and household members, within a year," "feelings of discrimination related to COVID-19 in the past two months," and "history of child verbal abuse" were observed.ConclusionsAmong male offenders, a significant relationship was observed regarding work-related changes, which may have been reinforced by the pandemic. Furthermore, the extent of the influence and fear of losing jobs caused by these changes may have varied according to the strength of gender roles and financial support in each country. Among female offenders, a significant relationship was observed regarding fear of infection itself, which is consistent with the findings of other studies. In terms of factors related to dissatisfaction with families, in some countries with prominent stereotyped gender roles, men are thought to experience difficulties adapting to work-related changes induced by crises, while women are thought to experience intense fear of the infection itself.

Dataset Information

The prevalences, changes, and related factors of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The prevalences, changes, and related factors of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

Similar Datasets

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