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 Children may manifest abuse via destructive or withdrawn behaviours, developmental delays, injuries or other health problems.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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Small Voices, Big Dreams 2019: Violence Against Children, as Explained by Children

ChildFund Alliance, 2019

This report presents the main conclusions from the 2019 Small Voices Big Dreams Technical Manual, which outlines in great detail the perceptions and opinions of children and adolescents from all over the world regarding the multiple dimensions of violence exercised against them.

Accidents Happen: Exposing Fallacies in Child Protection Abuse Cases and Reuniting Families Through Aggressive Litigation

Jessica Horan-Block & Elizabeth Tuttle Newman - City University of New York Law Review, 2019

The purpose of this article is to use the authors' experiences litigating physical abuse cases in the Bronx, New York City, USA to provide practitioners and family defenders both in New York and in other states with ideas and strategies of how to move cases forward for parents and caretakers charged with serious physical abuse of a child. It is our hope that, by challenging these allegations, defense attorneys can expose the misperceptions and overreach of agencies that charge parents with physical abuse based on injuries alone.

Out of the shadows: Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation

The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2019

Out of the shadows: Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation - a 40-country benchmarking index - examines how countries are responding to the threat of sexual violence against children.

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Interventions for reducing violence against children in low- and middle-income countries: an evidence and gap map

Prachi Pundir, Ashrita Saran, Howard White, Jill Adona, Ramya Subrahmanian - Campbell Collaboration, 2019

This evidence and gap map will provide an overview of the existing systematic reviews and impact evaluations on the key outcome domains and interventions aimed at reducing violence against children in LMICs using an intervention-outcome framework.

Psychological Factors Contributing to Baby Dumping and Infanticide: Experiences of Incarcerated Women Who Had Dumped Babies and/or Committed Infanticide in Namibia

Amukugo Hans Justus, Sumpi Ndempavali, Abel Karera - Journal of Innovation and Research in Health Sciences & Biotechnology , 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of incarcerated women who had dumped or committed infanticide in Namibia.

Model of Integrated Child Protection in the Family in West Timor Integrated Area in Belu District

Mientje Ratoe Oedjoe, Apriana H. J. Fanggidae, Reny R. Masu - International Journal of Economics, Business and Management Research, 2019

The objectives of the study are: 1) Identifying and classifying the level of child presence and the needs of children in the family and 2) implementation of integrated child protection models in families in integrated areas of West Timor.

Study Report on Good Practices in Family Preservation and Prevention of Family Separation Programming in Cambodia

Kirsten Anderson - Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC), 2019

This report provides in-depth analysis of programs of 7 different NGOs in Cambodia working on the prevention of family separation and family preservation in order to respond to risks related to physical and mental well-being and domestic violence.

Module 2 of the Parenting without Violence Bronze Course: How Parenting without Violence Works

Save the Children, 2019

This module is the second part of the Parenting without Violence Bronze Course. It focuses on the course's second learning outcome by sharing more about HOW Parenting without Violence works.

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The National Alternative Care Policy for Children in Sri Lanka

Ministry of Woman and Child Affairs and Dry Zone Development Department of Probation and Child Care Services, 2019

Sri Lanka's National Policy on the Alternative Care of Children outlines a comprehensive range of alternative care options and encourages the reforming of all formal structures that provide at-home and out-of-home services for children deprived of care and protection or at risk of being so. This policy also extends to children under care of the Juvenile Justice System. It provides policy solutions to programming for children at risk of family separation and facing deprivations such as child abuse, neglect, child labor, poverty, addiction, imprisonment, human trafficking, mental and physical disabilities, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, orphanhood, abandonment and displacement etc. The policy also takes into consideration and encompasses provisions to children who are forced to live and work on streets.

Factsheet: Best Practices for Video-Recorded Interviews

Emil Flam, Indico Systems - PROMISE, 2019

This factsheet reviews best practices for conducting a digital interview recording (DIR) with children who have experienced or witnessed violence.