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 Children may manifest abuse via destructive or withdrawn behaviours, developmental delays, injuries or other health problems.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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Emergency within an Emergency: The Growing Epidemic of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children in Greece

Jacqueline Bhabha & Vasileia Digidiki - FXB Center for Health & Human Rights, Harvard University, 17 Apr 2017

The present study analyzes the risk factors responsible for the exposure of migrant and refugee children to physical, psychological, and sexual violence and exploitation in Greece in the context of the ongoing migrant humanitarian crisis. It documents sexual and physical abuse of children inside migrant camps and reports new information about the commercial sexual exploitation of migrant children in the main cities of Greece. This research also explores the existing gaps and challenges in intervention efforts that contribute to victimization of migrant children.

Emergency Within an Emergency: The Growing Epidemic of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children in Greece

Vasileia Digidiki & Jacqueline Bhabha - Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, 13 Apr 2017

Life Style and Risk Behavior of Street Children in Bangladesh: A Health Perspective

Sajeda Chowdhury, Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, KATM Ehsanul Huq, Yasmin Jahan, Rubana Chowdhury, Toufiq Ahmed, Md Moshiur Rahman - Scientific Research Publishing, 07 Apr 2017

This cross-sectional descriptive study found that poverty is the main reason children stay and work on the street.

Child violence experiences in institutionalised/orphanage care

Lorraine Sherr, Kathryn J. Roberts and Natasha Gandhi - Psychology, Health & Medicine, 01 Mar 2017

This systematic review addresses violence and abuse experiences in institutionalised care, including frequency and type of abuse/violence, interventions addressing violence in institutional care, the perpetrators of violence, and the connections between abuse and cognitive delays in institutionalised children.

Ending violence in childhood: A global imperative

A. K. Shiva Kumar et al. - Psychology, Health and Medicine, 01 Mar 2017

This editorial explores the experience and impact of childhood violence around the world and calls for a coordinated and multi-sectoral response to prevent violence, recognizing the need to identify and address the root causes of family separation and institutionalization.

Case Study on Child Protection within OVC Programs: The Role of Para-Social Workers in Creating Community-Led Approaches to Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse

Suzanne Andrews - Catholic Relief Services, 01 Mar 2017

The following case study outlines the process undertaken by officials, para-social workers (PSWs) and community leaders in several sub-counties in Kasese District in Western Uganda to a) identify and address instances of child abuse in their communities, b) track cases of abuse and encourage reporting by victims, and c) support a para-social workforce in the communities to act as a deterrent and reduce the incidence of abuse.

Know Violence in Childhood: A Global Learning Initiative - Special Issue of the Journal of Psychology, Health and Medicine

Know Violence in Childhood: A Global Learning Initiative - Psychology, Health and Medicine, 01 Mar 2017

This Special Issue of the Journal of Psychology, Health and Medicine contains fifteen of several papers commissioned by the Know Violence Initiative. Together, these papers illustrate the complexity of violence experienced by children and present evidence-based strategies for addressing and preventing childhood violence.

Exploring opportunities for coordinated responses to intimate partner violence and child maltreatment in low and middle income countries: a scoping review

Loraine J. Bacchus et al. - Psychology, Health and Medicine , 01 Mar 2017

Increasing evidence suggests that intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM) by a parent or caregiver intersect on a number of levels. This scoping review defines the intersections between IPV and CM and explores opportunities for more coordinated approaches to address both forms of violence.

Ask Me! self-reported features of adolescents experiencing neglect or emotional maltreatment: a rapid systematic review

A. M. Naughton, L. E. Cowley, V. Tempest, S. A. Maguire, M. K. Mann, A. M. Kemp - Child: Care, Health and Development, 26 Feb 2017

This review aims to identify features that adolescents experiencing neglect and/ or emotional maltreatment report.

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Domestic Violence as a Risk Factor for Children Ending up Sleeping in the Streets of Post-War South Sudan

Owen Ndoromo, Karin Österman, and Kaj Björkqvist - Journal of Child & Adolescent Behavior , 23 Feb 2017

The study investigated the life of children in the street in post-war South Sudan. A main objective was to examine whether children who slept in the streets although they had parents they could go home to had been victimised more from domestic violence than children working in the street by day but spending the nights at home.