International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Research

20 pages, 444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH^TM) Parenting Program on Mothers and Their Children at Risk of Maltreatment: Phase 2 Results

by Nicole Letourneau, Lubna Anis, Jason Novick, Carrie Pohl, Henry Ntanda and Martha Hart

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3078; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043078 - 9 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3573

Abstract

Early adversity (e.g., family violence, parental depression, low income) places children at risk for maltreatment and negatively impacts developmental outcomes. Optimal parental reflective function (RF), defined as the parent’s ability to think about and identify thoughts, feelings, and mental states in themselves and [...] Read more.

Early adversity (e.g., family violence, parental depression, low income) places children at risk for maltreatment and negatively impacts developmental outcomes. Optimal parental reflective function (RF), defined as the parent’s ability to think about and identify thoughts, feelings, and mental states in themselves and in their children, is linked to secure attachment and may protect against suboptimal outcomes. We present the results of Phase 2 randomized control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies (QES) of the Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH^TM) parental RF intervention for families with children at risk for maltreatment. Phase 2 parents experiencing adversity, along with their children aged 0–5 years (n = 45), received the 10–12-week ATTACH^TM intervention. Building on completed Phase 1 pilot data, Phase 2 examined outcomes of long-standing interest, including parental RF and child development, as well as new outcomes, including parental perceived social support and executive function, and children’s behavior, sleep, and executive function. RCTs and QES revealed significant improvements in parents’ RF, perception of social support, and executive function, children’s development (i.e., communication, problem-solving, personal–social, and fine motor skills), and a decrease in children’s sleep and behavioral problems (i.e., anxiety/depression, attention problems, aggressive behavior, and externalizing problems), post-intervention. ATTACH™ positively impacts parental RF to prevent negative impacts on children at risk of maltreatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

10 pages, 321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preventing Punitive Violence: Implementing Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) with Marginalized Populations in Bangladesh

by Christine A. Ateah, Laila Khondkar, Firozul Milon and Rasheda Rabbani

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1873; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031873 - 19 Jan 2023

Viewed by 2113

Abstract

Physical and other types of punishment remain common in Bangladesh, despite overwhelming evidence of their harm and worldwide efforts to decrease their use. One of the strategic priorities of Save the Children in Bangladesh’s Child Protection Program is to protect children from physical [...] Read more.

Physical and other types of punishment remain common in Bangladesh, despite overwhelming evidence of their harm and worldwide efforts to decrease their use. One of the strategic priorities of Save the Children in Bangladesh’s Child Protection Program is to protect children from physical and humiliating punishment in homes, schools, and other settings. Save the Children in Bangladesh selected the Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) Program to provide parents with alternatives to physical punishment that comply with human rights standards while strengthening relationships and understanding of child development. High-risk communities where children are particularly vulnerable were selected for this project. The PDEP program was delivered to 857 parents living in lower socioeconomic areas of Bangladesh, including ethnic minority groups, and parents living in urban slums of Dhaka and rural brothel areas. Due to the low levels of education of the participants (almost two-thirds of participants had not completed elementary school), simplified pre and posttests were utilized. Following program completion, parents’ approval of both physical punishment and punishment in general declined; they were less likely to view typical parent-child conflicts as intentional misbehavior and were less reactive to frustration. In addition, parents indicated an increased understanding of the positive discipline and more confidence in their parenting skills. Before taking PDEP, 64% of the parents often felt like they just did not know what to do as a parent, compared to 34% following program completion. PDEP demonstrated the potential to decrease the use of physical and humiliating punishments by parents living in high-risk communities in Bangladesh. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

15 pages, 785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Childhood Prevalence of Involvement with the Child Protection System in Quebec: A Longitudinal Study

by Tonino Esposito, Johanna Caldwell, Martin Chabot, Anne Blumenthal, Nico Trocmé, Barbara Fallon, Sonia Hélie and Tracie O. Afifi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010622 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2800

Abstract

The goal of this study, the first of its kind in Canada, was to estimate the child lifetime prevalence of child protection involvement in Quebec. Using administrative and population data spanning 17 years, we performed a survival analysis of initial incidents of child [...] Read more.

The goal of this study, the first of its kind in Canada, was to estimate the child lifetime prevalence of child protection involvement in Quebec. Using administrative and population data spanning 17 years, we performed a survival analysis of initial incidents of child protection reports, confirmed reports, confirmation of a child’s security or development being compromised, and placement outside the home for one day or more. We found that before reaching the age of 18 years, over 18% of children were reported to child protection at least once, one in every ten children (10.1%) in the province had a report that led to the finding of their security or development being compromised, and over 5% were placed outside the home. We found that neglect was a primary concern in close to half (47.6%) of cases. By using a full population dataset, we obtained a more accurate prevalence estimate than studies using synthetic cohort life tables. These findings only captured initial incidents of involvement with child protection, meaning this study does not show the extent of recurrent involvement for some children. The findings reflect prior results showing that neglect is common in initial child protection involvement but less pervasive than has been shown in incidence studies, suggesting that recurrent child protection involvement is more driven by neglect than initial incidents are. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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16 pages, 849 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Parenting Program for Resource Parents

by Lauren Stenason and Elisa Romano

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16981; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416981 - 17 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2870

Abstract

Child maltreatment impacts many young people involved in the child welfare system, and it is important that the resource parents supporting these youth have knowledge and skills in trauma-informed care. The current study is a preliminary evaluation of the Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC), [...] Read more.

Child maltreatment impacts many young people involved in the child welfare system, and it is important that the resource parents supporting these youth have knowledge and skills in trauma-informed care. The current study is a preliminary evaluation of the Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC), an in-service, 8-module, group-based parenting program developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Youth and caregiver outcomes were examined by way of a quasi-experimental design that included 22 resource parents in the experimental group and 21 in the waitlist control group and involved baseline, post-program, and 2-month follow-up assessments. For learning outcomes, RPC resulted in improvements in resource parents’ knowledge and beliefs about trauma-informed parenting. While not statistically significant, potential effects included improvements in resource parents’ tolerance of challenging youth behaviors and parenting self-efficacy. For behavioral outcomes, several non-significant potential effects were noted, including improvements in resource parents’ attachment relationships with their youth and increased social supports. This study was the first to evaluate RPC using a quasi-experimental design within a Canadian context and through a virtual delivery. Findings highlighted several benefits of the program and resource parents’ ongoing training needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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9 pages, 907 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Survey on Reporting of Child Abuse by Pediatricians: Intrapersonal Inconsistencies Influence Reporting Behavior More than Legislation

by Oliver Berthold, Vera Clemens, Benjamin H. Levi, Marion Jarczok, Jörg M. Fegert and Andreas Jud

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15568; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315568 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2283

Abstract

Background: Internationally, various laws govern reporting of child abuse to child protection services by medical professionals. Whether mandatory reporting laws are in place or not, medical professionals need internal thresholds for suspicion of abuse to even consider a report (“reasonable suspicion” in [...] Read more.

Background: Internationally, various laws govern reporting of child abuse to child protection services by medical professionals. Whether mandatory reporting laws are in place or not, medical professionals need internal thresholds for suspicion of abuse to even consider a report (“reasonable suspicion” in US law, “gewichtige Anhaltspunkte” in German law). Objective: To compare internal thresholds for suspicion of abuse among US and German pediatricians, i.e., from two countries with and without mandatory reporting laws. Participants and Setting: In Germany, 1581 pediatricians participated in a nationwide survey among child health professionals. In the US, a survey was mailed to all Pennsylvania pediatricians, and 1249 participated. Methods: Both samples were asked how high in their rank order of differential diagnoses child abuse would have to be when confronted with a child’s injuries to qualify for reasonable suspicion/gewichtige Anhaltspunkte (differential diagnosis scale, DDS). In a second step, both had to mark a 10-point likelihood scale (0–100%) corresponding to reasonable suspicion/gewichtige Anhaltspunkte (estimated probability scale, EPS). Results: While for almost two-thirds of German pediatricians (62.4%), child abuse had to be among the top three differential diagnoses for gewichtige Anhaltspunkte, over half of the US respondents (48.1%) had a lower threshold for reasonable suspicion. On the estimated probability scale, over 65% in both samples indicated that the probability of abuse had to exceed 50% for reasonable suspicion/gewichtige Anhaltspunkte. There was great variability between the two countries. Conclusions: There are similar uncertainties in assessing cases of suspected child abuse in different legal systems. There is a need for debates on thresholds among medical professionals in both countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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11 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Concerns about Household Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Dawn-Li Blair, Margot Shields and Lil Tonmyr

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14633; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214633 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1860

Abstract

Evidence about how the pandemic affected household violence in Canada is mixed, but inarguably, the risk factors increased. This study used data from the 2020 Canadian Perspective Survey Series and the 2020 and 2021 Surveys of COVID-19 and Mental Health to examine the [...] Read more.

Evidence about how the pandemic affected household violence in Canada is mixed, but inarguably, the risk factors increased. This study used data from the 2020 Canadian Perspective Survey Series and the 2020 and 2021 Surveys of COVID-19 and Mental Health to examine the following: changes in the prevalence of concern about violence in individuals’ own homes during the pandemic; the characteristics of those who expressed concern; and the prevalence of concerns for specific household members. Among Canadians, the prevalence of concern about violence in individuals’ own homes decreased significantly between July and Fall 2020 (5.8% to 4.2%). Among women, the characteristics that were significantly associated with higher adjusted odds of concern about household violence included larger household size and lower household income. Lower education among women was associated with lower adjusted odds of concern. The associations with higher adjusted odds of concern among men included: being an immigrant, larger household size, and lower household income. From Fall 2020 to Spring 2021, the prevalence of concerns for oneself and for a child/children increased (1.7% to 2.5% and 1.0% to 2.5%, respectively), but concern for other adults in the household decreased (1.9% to 1.2%). Ongoing surveillance is needed to understand vulnerable populations’ exposure to household violence and to inform policies and programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

16 pages, 2528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Latent Classes of Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences in a Multinational Sample of Parents and Their Relation to Parent, Child, and Family Functioning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Dylan Johnson, Dillon T. Browne, Robert D. Meade, Heather Prime and Mark Wade

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13581; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013581 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to later mental health. Conversely, Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) may buffer against mental health difficulties. The importance of ACEs and BCEs for mental health of both parents and children may be most obvious during periods [...] Read more.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to later mental health. Conversely, Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) may buffer against mental health difficulties. The importance of ACEs and BCEs for mental health of both parents and children may be most obvious during periods of stress, with potential consequences for functioning of the family. Subgroups of ACEs and BCEs in parents during the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated and validated in relation to indices of parent, child, and family well-being. In May 2020, ACEs/BCEs were assessed in 547 parents of 5–18-year-old children from the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia. Subgroups of parents with varying levels of ACEs and BCEs were identified via latent class analysis. The subgroups were validated by examining associations between class membership and indices of parent and child mental health and family well-being. Four latent classes were identified: low-ACEs/high-BCEs, moderate-ACEs/high-BCEs, moderate-ACEs/low-BCEs, and high-ACEs/moderate-BCEs. Regardless of the extent of BCEs, there was an increased risk of parent and child mental health difficulties and family dysfunction among those reporting moderate-to-high levels of ACEs. Parents’ history of adversity may influence the mental health of their family. These findings highlight the importance of public health interventions for preventing early-life adversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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14 pages, 1185 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender Inequality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Associations with Parental Physical Abuse and Moderation by Child Gender

by Julie Ma, Andrew C. Grogan-Kaylor, Shawna J. Lee, Kaitlin P. Ward and Garrett T. Pace

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 11928; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911928 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4366

Abstract

Gender inequality perpetuates women’s economic insecurity and a culture of violence. Parental distress caused by economic pressure may increase violence against children. High levels of gender inequality and interpersonal violence may contribute to higher levels of physical abuse. Using an ecological perspective, this [...] Read more.

Gender inequality perpetuates women’s economic insecurity and a culture of violence. Parental distress caused by economic pressure may increase violence against children. High levels of gender inequality and interpersonal violence may contribute to higher levels of physical abuse. Using an ecological perspective, this study examines the association of country-level gender inequality and household-level parental physical abuse, and the moderating role of child gender in this association in low- and middle-income countries. We used data on over 420,000 households from the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and country-level indicators from the United Nations Development Program Human Development data. We employed multilevel logistic regression to examine the association between gender inequality with the log-odds of physical abuse after accounting for country- and individual-level covariates. In order to more fully explore our results, we calculated predicted probabilities of abuse for several scenarios. The results indicated that higher levels of gender inequality were associated with higher probabilities of physical abuse. This association was stronger for female children than for male children. The probabilities of abuse by child gender were indistinguishable, although rates of physical abuse converged as gender inequality increased, at a statistically marginal level. These findings indicate that macro-level interventions that reduce gender inequality are necessary to prevent and reduce child physical abuse. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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21 pages, 1122 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Apapacho Violence Prevention Parenting Program: Conceptual Foundations and Pathways to Scale

by Jorge Cuartas, Helen Baker-Henningham, Andrés Cepeda, Catalina Rey-Guerra and Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF) Early Childhood Team

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8582; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148582 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2540

Abstract

Violence against children (VAC) is a major global issue with long-lasting negative consequences on individuals and societies. The present study presents a review of the literature on drivers of VAC and the core components of evidence-based violence prevention programs. Moreover, it analyzes the [...] Read more.

Violence against children (VAC) is a major global issue with long-lasting negative consequences on individuals and societies. The present study presents a review of the literature on drivers of VAC and the core components of evidence-based violence prevention programs. Moreover, it analyzes the existing services and social infrastructure in Colombia to rigorously inform the design of the Apapacho violence prevention parenting program for families with children younger than five targeted toward Colombia. Findings indicate that (1) VAC in Colombia is a multidimensional issue with roots at the individual, family, community, and society levels, (2) evidence-based violence prevention programs share a common set of content and delivery strategies that could inform the components of the Apapacho program, and (3) there is an urgent need for scalable and flexible violence prevention programs for families with young children in Colombia. Considering existing evidence, the Apapacho violence prevention parenting program will be designed using ecological, developmental, and neuroscience-informed perspectives. This article concludes by presenting the initial components of the theory of change and discussing future directions for the design of the Apapacho program and other violence prevention interventions in LMICs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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16 pages, 385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Qualitative Description of Resident Physicians’ Understanding of Child Maltreatment: Impacts, Recognition, and Response

by Megan Laupacis, Anita Acai, Harriet L. MacMillan, Meredith Vanstone, Donna Stewart, Gina Dimitropoulos and Melissa Kimber

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3319; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063319 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2795

Abstract

Child maltreatment (CM) is a public health problem with devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities. Resident physicians have varied formal education in CM, and report feeling inadequately trained in identifying and responding to CM. The purpose of this study is to explore [...] Read more.

Child maltreatment (CM) is a public health problem with devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities. Resident physicians have varied formal education in CM, and report feeling inadequately trained in identifying and responding to CM. The purpose of this study is to explore residents’ understanding of the impacts of CM, and their perceptions of their role in recognizing and responding to CM to better understand their educational needs. This study analyzed qualitative data obtained from a larger project on family violence education. Twenty-nine resident physicians enrolled in pediatric, family medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry training programs in Alberta, Ontario, and Québec participated in semi-structured interviews to elicit their ideas, experiences, and educational needs relating to CM. Conventional (inductive) content analysis guided the development of codes and categories. Residents had thorough knowledge about the impacts of CM and their duty to recognize CM, but there was less consistency in how residents understood their role in responding to CM. Residents identified the need for more education about recognizing and responding to CM, and the need for educational content to be responsive to training, patient and family factors, and systemic issues. Despite knowledge about the impacts of CM and laws pertaining to mandated reporting, residents reported challenges with responding to concerns of CM. Findings of this study emphasize the need for better training in response to CM. Future educational interventions should consider a multidisciplinary, experiential approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

Review

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16 pages, 693 KiB

Open AccessReview

Child Maltreatment Reporting Practices by a Person Most Knowledgeable for Children and Youth: A Rapid Scoping Review

by Ashley Stewart-Tufescu, Isabel Garces-Davila, Samantha Salmon, Katerina V. Pappas, Julie-Anne McCarthy, Tamara Taillieu, Sonya Gill and Tracie O. Afifi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16481; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416481 - 8 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1544

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a global public health and child rights crisis made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While understanding the breadth of the child maltreatment crisis is foundational to informing prevention and response efforts, determining accurate estimates of child maltreatment remains challenging. [...] Read more.

Child maltreatment is a global public health and child rights crisis made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While understanding the breadth of the child maltreatment crisis is foundational to informing prevention and response efforts, determining accurate estimates of child maltreatment remains challenging. Alternative informants (parents, caregivers, a Person Most Knowledgeable—PMK) are often tasked with reporting on children’s maltreatment experiences in surveys to mitigate concerns associated with reporting child maltreatment. The overall purpose of this study was to examine child maltreatment reporting practices in surveys by PMKs for children and youth. The research question is: “What is the nature of the evidence of child maltreatment reporting practices in general population surveys by PMKs for children and youth?” A rapid scoping review was conducted to achieve the study’s purpose. A search strategy was conducted in nine databases (e.g., MEDLINE, EBSCO, Scopus, Global Health, ProQuest). The findings from this review indicate that most studies involved PMK informants (i.e., maternal caregivers), included representative samples from primarily Western contexts, and utilized validated measures to assess child maltreatment. Half of the studies assessed involved multi-informant reports, including the PMKs and child/youth. Overall, the congruence between PMK-reported and child/youth-reported child maltreatment experiences was low-to-fair/moderate, and children/youth reported more maltreatment than the PMKs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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24 pages, 1017 KiB

Open AccessReview

Child Welfare Reform: A Scoping Review

by Jill R. McTavish, Christine McKee, Masako Tanaka and Harriet L. MacMillan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14071; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114071 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6006

Abstract

While there have been ongoing calls to reform child welfare so that it better meets children’s and families’ needs, to date there have been no comprehensive summaries of child welfare reform strategies. For this systematic scoping review, we summarized authors’ recommendations for improving [...] Read more.

While there have been ongoing calls to reform child welfare so that it better meets children’s and families’ needs, to date there have been no comprehensive summaries of child welfare reform strategies. For this systematic scoping review, we summarized authors’ recommendations for improving child welfare. We conducted a systematic search (2010 to 2021) and included published reviews that addressed authors’ recommendations for improving child welfare for children, youth, and families coming into contact with child welfare in high-income countries. A total of 4758 records was identified by the systematic search, 685 full-text articles were screened for eligibility, and 433 reviews were found to be eligible for this scoping review. Reviews were theoretically divided, with some review authors recommending reform efforts at the macro level (e.g., addressing poverty) and others recommending reform efforts at the practice level (e.g., implementing evidence-based parenting programs). Reform efforts across socioecological levels were summarized in this scoping review. An important next step is to formulate what policy solutions are likely to lead to the greatest improvement in safety and well-being for children and families involved in child welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

15 pages, 360 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Ending the Social Normalization of Violence against Children in Canada: A Framework, Rationale, and Appeal to Canadian Faith Leaders

by Valerie Michaelson and Ron Ensom

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17016; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417016 - 18 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1681

Abstract

Corporal punishment remains the most common form of violence against children in Canada. Along with being legally permitted, it is made socially acceptable through cultural and social norms often disguised as discipline. Paraphrases of Judeo-Christian sacred texts such as “spare the rod; spoil [...] Read more.

Corporal punishment remains the most common form of violence against children in Canada. Along with being legally permitted, it is made socially acceptable through cultural and social norms often disguised as discipline. Paraphrases of Judeo-Christian sacred texts such as “spare the rod; spoil the child” have been widely used to justify corporal punishment, and to create norms around the idea that it is a god-given responsibility of parents to inflict corporal punishment on their children “for their own good.” Corporal punishment is then not only an acceptable part of raising children but can be a godly duty. Though Canada is a secular country, this social norm provides a moral hegemony under which violence becomes the status quo and has proven very difficult to change. In this commentary, we outline the ways that Christian religion has contributed to social norms around corporal punishment. We then argue that religious leaders have an opportunity—and moral responsibility—to contribute to change. We conclude with insights from social norms theory and offer evidence-based recommendations for ways forward that could help shift attitudes around corporal punishment in order to decrease its prevalence and harm. While each of these issues has been written about extensively in isolation, this commentary offers an analysis of these matters together under one umbrella. By making this relationship between Christianity and the social norms that propagate corporal punishment more visible, we draw attention to the role leaders in Christian churches could play in disrupting the social acceptance of violence against our youngest Canadian citizens. We provide a practical and evidence-based framework, rationale, and appeal to Canadian faith leaders to use their influence to add momentum to a critical health, rights—and religion—issue in Canada. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

16 pages, 397 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence in Mental Health Settings

by Jill R. McTavish, Prabha S. Chandra, Donna E. Stewart, Helen Herrman and Harriet L. MacMillan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315672 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3320

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect, and children’s exposure to IPV) are two of the most common types of family violence; they are associated with a broad range of health consequences. We summarize evidence addressing the need [...] Read more.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect, and children’s exposure to IPV) are two of the most common types of family violence; they are associated with a broad range of health consequences. We summarize evidence addressing the need for safe and culturally-informed clinical responses to child maltreatment and IPV, focusing on mental health settings. This considers clinical features of child maltreatment and IPV; applications of rights-based and trauma- and violence-informed care; how to ask about potential experiences of violence; safe responses to disclosures; assessment and interventions that include referral networks and resources developed in partnership with multidisciplinary and community actors; and the need for policy and practice frameworks, appropriate training and continuing professional development provisions and resources for mental health providers. Principles for a common approach to recognizing and safely responding to child maltreatment and IPV are discussed, recognizing the needs in well-resourced and scarce resource settings, and for marginalized groups in any setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

9 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

An Examination of Parents’ Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) History and Reported Spanking of Their Child: Informing Child Maltreatment Prevention Efforts

by Tracie O. Afifi, Samantha Salmon, Ashley Stewart-Tufescu and Tamara Taillieu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710580 - 25 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3356

Abstract

The current evidence indicates that spanking is harmful to children’s health and development and should never be used by parents or other caregivers. However, the critical factors that inform effective spanking prevention strategies are still not well understood. The objective of the current [...] Read more.

The current evidence indicates that spanking is harmful to children’s health and development and should never be used by parents or other caregivers. However, the critical factors that inform effective spanking prevention strategies are still not well understood. The objective of the current study was to determine if a parent’s own adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) history was associated with increased likelihood of reporting their child being spanked at age 10 or younger. Data were drawn from the Well-Being and Experiences Study (the WE Study), a community survey of parents and adolescents from 2017–2018 (N = 1000) from Canada. The results indicated that a parent’s own history of physical abuse, emotional abuse, spanking, and household mental illness in childhood were associated with an increased likelihood that their child would have been spanked. These findings indicate that a parent’s ACEs history may be related to how their own child is parented and identify families who may be more likely to rely on spanking. Preventing physical punishment is necessary for healthy child development, reducing the risk of further violence, and upholding children’s rights to protection. Parent’s ACEs history may be an important factor to consider when developing and implementing child maltreatment prevention efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Maltreatment: New Frontiers in Prevention, Response, and Resilience)

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