Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse includes all forms of physical and emotional mistreatment, sexual abuse, and neglect of a child’s basic needs, which results in actual or potential harm to a child’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Exploitation of children is also a form of abuse and includes trafficking for sexual or economic purposes, and recruitment of children into armed forces.

An abused child may experience many forms of mistreatment in any one incident or over time; for example, emotional harm is a pervading factor in all types of abuse. The abuser may be a family member, a stranger, another child, or someone responsible for a child's well-being, such as a teacher or caretaker.

Children in every society are vulnerable to abuse, gender based violence, and exploitation, however children without parental care and those in high risk environments such as conflict areas, refugee camps, on the street, or in institutions, are particularly exposed to violence, denial of their basic human rights, and deprivation. All abuse has its origins in power imbalance and therefore is typically associated with fear, secrecy, and control. This makes identifying and speaking out about abuse very difficult for children, family members, the community and social services, particularly when it is committed within the privacy of the home.

Child abuse can cause physical and psychosocial problems, including HIV/AIDS infection, and is particularly damaging when repeated over a period of time. Children may manifest abuse via destructive or withdrawn behaviours, developmental delays, injuries or other health problems. The effects of abuse will vary from child to child and depend on the source, type and extent of the abuse, the child’s developmental stage and their disposition or resilience.

The process of identifying and responding to abuse requires skilled interventions in order to prevent further harm to the child, and will typically include police, medical, psychological, and social services in order to address the safety, physical, and emotional needs of the affected children. Any care plan must be in the best interests of the child and protect them and their siblings from harm. This will include consideration of the additional risks of abuse that are present for children in institutions and care placements. Such closed environments are extremely susceptible to abuse since they are frequently isolated, insufficiently regulated, and lacking in adequate supervision and safe reporting procedures. It is the role of social services to screen and monitor all child placements, including institutional, kinship, and foster care, to ensure the child’s safety and well-being.

It is the responsibility of the whole community to protect its children. Education and community awareness for children and adults on the risks, signs of abuse, and responses is vital for children without parental care and those in high risk situations, such as during a conflict or displacement when sexual violence, exploitation, and recruitment into armed forces are prevalent.

The literature in this section describes the types of abuse in more detail, including gender based violence, and provides example child protection procedures, policy papers, and other intervention tools.

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Interventions that Prevent or Respond to Intimate Partner Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children: A Systematic Review

Loraine J Bacchus, Manuela Colombini, Isabelle Pearson, Anik Gevers, Heidi Stöckl, Alessandra Guedes, 10 May 2024

These researchers conducted a systematic review to explore interventions that prevent or respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) and violence against children (VAC) by parents or caregivers, aiming to identify common intervention components and mechanisms that lead to a reduction in IPV and VAC.

Exploring the Determinants of Child Marriage Among Males and Females in Vietnam: A Survival Analysis

Nguyen Van Bao, Yoon Cheong Cho, 26 Apr 2024

While the determinants of child marriage among females have been well-documented, there is a lack of research on the determinants of child marriage among males. This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature to investigate the determinants of child marriage among males and females in Vietnam.

Approaches to Engaging Vulnerable Youth: Aviva and the Aotearoa New Zealand Context

Family for Every Child, 01 Apr 2024

This practitioner guide outlines the Aviva program in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand that provides support to children, young people and adults who have experienced family or sexual violenc

Corporal Punishment of Children in Afghanistan

End Corporal Punishment, 01 Feb 2024

This is a corporal punishment country report for Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the Law on Protection of Child Rights 2019 prohibits corporal punishment in alternative care settings and in penal institutions.

Corporal Punishment of Children in Guinea-Bissau

End Corporal Punishment, 01 Feb 2024

This is a corporal punishment country report for Guinea-Bissau. While prohibition of corporal punishment is still to be achieved in the home and day care, the Child Protection Code 2021 of Guinea-Bissau prohibits corporal punishment in alternative care settings, schools and in penal institutions.

Working with Children Who Have Experienced Neglect Good Practice Guide: Chapter 1 - 'Understanding Child Neglect'

Victoria Sharley, Alyson Rees, 2024

This is the first chapter from the "Working with children who have experienced neglect" Good Practice Guide.

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Prevalence of Girl and Boy Child Marriage Across States and Union Territories in India, 1993–2021: a Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

Jewel Gausman, Rockli Kim, Akhil Kumar, Shamika Ravi, S V Subramanian, 15 Dec 2023

In this study, the authors aim to present a systematic description of the trends in child marriage in girls and boys aged 20–24 years in India and its 36 states and Union Territories between 1993 and 2021.

Parental Absence as an Adverse Childhood Experience Among Young Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa

Francis B. Annor, Ermias W. Amene, Liping Zhu, Caroline Stamatakis, Viani Picchetti, Sarah Matthews, Stephanie S. Miedema, Colvette Brown, Viva C. Thorsen, Pedro Manuel, Leah K. Gilbert, Caroline Kambona, Rachel Coomer, Joseph Trika, et al, 22 Nov 2023

The objectives of this study were to examine (1) the associations between parental absence for six months or more, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mental health problems, and substance use among young adults in sub-Saharan Africa, (2) whether parental absence and other ACEs are independently associated with mental health outcomes and substance use, (3) and if parental absence explains additional variance above and beyond those explained by other ACEs.

Child Abuse and Neglect - The International Journal

Prevalence of violence against children in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and meta-analysis

07 Nov 2023

There is currently little consensus in the United Kingdom around the prevalence of violence against children: maltreatment, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, bullying, and community violence, and most existing studies focus on only a single or a few forms of violence. This study aims to produce data to highlight the current magnitude of the problem in the UK, to inform policy, drive action and allow for monitoring of progress over time.

Charting Brighter Futures: Utilizing Data for Accelerated Action to End Child Marriage

UNICEF, 21 Sep 2023

On 21st September 2023, the Governments of Canada and Zambia, in partnership with UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage and the Child Marriage Monitoring Mechanism, hosted a High-Level Side Event during the Seventy-Eighth Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The event was titled 'Charting Brighter Futures: Utilizing Data for Accelerated Action to End Child Marriage and Achieve SDG 5.3'.