Prevalence and risk factors of child maltreatment among migrant families in China

Although cases of child abuse among migrant families are often reported by social media, the issue of child maltreatment among migrant families in China has received little empirical attention. This study investigated both the prevalence of child maltreatment by parents among migrant families, and the individual, family and community-level risk factors associated with child abuse in this context. A survey was conducted with 667 migrant and 496 local adolescents in Shenzhen, South China, with a stratified two-stage cluster sampling design. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to compare the prevalence of maltreatment between migrant and local adolescents, and also to explore risk factors associated with the psychological and physical maltreatment in both groups. The results showed that parent-to-child abuse was more prevalent among migrant than local adolescents, with migrant adolescents 1.490 and 1.425 times more likely to be psychologically and physically abused by their parents than their local counterparts. Low academic performance, delinquent behavior, family economic adversity and low parent attachment put migrant adolescents at increased risk of both psychological and physical maltreatment, and neighborhood disorganization was significantly related to psychological aggression among migrant adolescents. The findings confirm that child abuse perpetuated by parents is a serious problem in Mainland China, especially among migrant families, and implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

Maternal history of child maltreatment and maternal depression risk in the perinatal period: A longitudinal study

Existing research is limited, with only a few studies considering each single type and multiple types of child maltreatment (CM) as well as multiple assessments of maternal depression throughout the perinatal period. The purpose of the study was to assess each type and accumulative types of CM in relation to the risk of maternal depression throughout the perinatal period. In total, 276 pregnant women were recruited from the prenatal clinic at a general hospital in China. Maternal CM history and depression risk were assessed at late pregnancy, postpartum week 1, and postpartum week 4 using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The GEE showed that physical and emotional neglect and multiple types of CM were associated with higher overall depression risk across the perinatal period. The multinomial regression models showed physical neglect and multiple types of CM predicted higher risk of both antepartum and postpartum depression. Emotional and sexual abuse and emotional neglect predicted antepartum depression risk, while none of the three types of CM predicted postpartum depression risk. Physical abuse did not predict antepartum and postpartum depression risk. The findings suggest that maternal history of child physical and emotional neglect play significant roles in perinatal depression risk with physical neglect as the most important predictor. Routine screening for maternal CM history and depression risk in prenatal clinics is needed to aid in the early detection and treatment of depression.     

Childhood maltreatment and the persistence of smoking: A longitudinal study among adults in the US

The current study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment—emotional, physical, and severe physical maltreatment—and the initiation and persistence of smoking. Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) Survey Waves 1 and 2. Frequency of childhood emotional, physical, and severe physical maltreatment (never, rare, intermittent, frequent) reported at Wave 1 was examined in relation to ever smoking, smoking daily, and persistent daily smoking at Waves 1 and 2. Logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals), which were then adjusted for potential confounders. Childhood emotional, physical, and severe physical maltreatment were associated with increased odds of ever smoking, smoking daily, and persistent smoking at Waves 1 and 2. The majority of these associations remained significant after adjusting for confounding variables. These results suggest a history of trauma may play a prominent role in recalcitrant cigarette smoking and suggest that the success rates of treatments for smoking cessation may be improved by integrating trauma treatment where appropriate.     

The impact of child maltreatment on the risk of deliberate self-harm among adolescents: A population-wide cohort study using linked administrative records

Adolescents exposed to maltreatment have an elevated risk of deliberate self-harm (DSH). The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally the effects of the number, timing, and type of maltreatment allegations on adolescent risk of having a DSH-related hospital admission, using linked data in Western Australia. A total of 351,372 children born between 1986 and 2000 were followed from birth up to the year 2010. Cox regression models were utilized, while controlling for a range of psychosocial covariates. Compared to children without allegations of maltreatment, children with unsubstantiated allegations only (aHR = 1.04, 95%CI: 1.00–1.08, p < .01) and children with a substantiated allegation (aHR = 1.10, 95%CI: 1.06–1.15, p < .001) all had significantly increased risk of DSH in adolescence. Among children with a substantiated allegation of maltreatment, the greater the number of allegations, the longer the exposure to maltreatment, and the more types of maltreatment experienced by a child, the higher the child's risk of DSH. However, this dose–response pattern was not found among children with unsubstantiated allegations only. This study calls for the early identification of children who are vulnerable to maltreatment, the better identification of the duration and severity of maltreatment experiences, and the provision of continued care and support, to reduce the child's DSH risk in adolescence.     

Child maltreatment and attentional problems: A longitudinal birth cohort study

ObjectiveTo examine whether child maltreatment is associated with attentional problems in adolescence (14 years) and young adulthood (21 years), and whether outcomes depend on the type of maltreatment (sexual vs non-sexual).MethodsData from a population based cohort study involving 3778 mother-child pairs were linked with data from the state child protection agency to examine associations between child abuse and neglect and attention problems, measured using the Achenbach Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Achenbach Young Adult Self Report (YASR).Results245 (6.5%) participants had been the subject of notification for non-sexual maltreatment (one or more of neglect, emotional or physical abuse) compared with only 54 (1.4%) who had been subject of notification for suspected sexual abuse. After adjusting for potential confounding variables including maternal, participant and sociodemographic factors, we found those exposed to non sexual maltreatment were likely to experience attentional problems at 14 years (p < .001) and 21 years of age (p = .044), compared with those participants who had not experienced non sexual maltreatment. By contrast, at age 14 years, sexual abuse was associated with attentional problems only as reported by the participant, not their carer. Results at 21 years of age for those exposed to sexual child maltreatment (p=.655) were again in contrast to the observed association between attentional problems and non sexual child maltreatment (p = .035).ConclusionIn this study, non-sexual maltreatment in childhood is associated with attentional problems at both 14 years and 21 years of age. These findings highlight the need for targeted research to better understand the longer term mental health outcomes for children exposed to non-sexual maltreatment. Potential implications for mental health services include the need for broader screening at presentation and importantly, greater collaboration with schools, general practitioners and paediatricians, given the greatest impact would arguably be within these settings.     

Randomized controlled trial of a parenting program to reduce the risk of child maltreatment in South Africa

Parenting programs in high-income countries have been shown to reduce the risk of child maltreatment. However, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to examine the initial effects of a parenting program in reducing the risk of child maltreatment in highly-deprived and vulnerable communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Low-income parents (N = 68) with children aged three to eight years were randomly assigned to either a group-based parenting program or a wait-list control group. Observational and parent-report assessments were taken at baseline and at immediate post-test after the intervention was delivered. Primary outcomes were parent-report and observational assessments of harsh parenting, positive parenting, and child behavior problems. Secondary outcomes were parent-report assessments of parental depression, parenting stress, and social support. Results indicated moderate treatment effects for increased frequency of parent-report of positive parenting (d = 0.63) and observational assessments of parent-child play (d = 0.57). Observational assessments also found moderate negative treatment effects for less frequent positive child behavior (d = −0.56). This study is the first randomized controlled trial design to rigorously test the effectiveness of a parenting program on reducing the risk of child maltreatment in sub-Saharan Africa using both observational and self-report assessments. Results provide preliminary evidence of effectiveness of reducing the risk of child maltreatment by improving positive parenting behavior. Further development is required to strengthen program components regarding child behavior management and nonviolent discipline strategies. Future research would benefit from a larger trial with sufficient power to determine program effectiveness.     

Self reported awareness of child maltreatment among school professionals in Saudi Arabia: impact of CRC ratification

Objectives

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was ratified by Saudi Arabia 15 years ago; yet addressing the issue of child maltreatment only began in more recent years. School professionals play a significant role in children's lives, as they spend a great deal of time with them and are hence essential to protecting and identifying those in danger or at risk. The objective of this study is to identify school professional's awareness of child maltreatment and the existing national policies and procedures to examine the extent of efforts made in Saudi Arabia and to activate the roles of schools and school professionals in protecting children from violence and implementation of Article 19 of the CRC.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study, where school professionals from randomly selected schools throughout the country were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

A total of 3,777 school professionals participated in the study. Fifty-five percent of professionals had at least 10 years of work experience. A low-level of awareness of child maltreatment was found in about 1/3 of school professionals. Only 1.9% of school professionals had ever attended any sort of specific training on child maltreatment, though 69.3% of those who had not, were willing to attend future training. With regards to awareness of CRC Article 19 or policies and procedures addressing child maltreatment, only 22% reported being aware of it.

Conclusion

The majority of school professionals in Saudi Arabia have a low-intermediate level of awareness of child maltreatment, ratification of CRC, and related national policies and procedures, yet most are willing to attend training programs on this subject matter. Efforts need to be made in the country to fill this gap.     

Development of a prediction model for child maltreatment recurrence in Japan: A historical cohort study using data from a Child Guidance Center

To develop a prediction model for the first recurrence of child maltreatment within the first year after the initial report, we carried out a historical cohort study using administrative data from 716 incident cases of child maltreatment (physical abuse, psychological abuse, or neglect) not receiving support services, reported between April 1, 1996 through March 31, 2011 to Shiga Central Child Guidance Center, Japan. In total, 23 items related to characteristics of the child, the maltreatment, the offender, household, and other related factors were selected as predictive variables and analyzed by multivariate logistic regression model for association with first recurrence of maltreatment. According to the stepwise selection procedure six factors were identified that include 9–13 year age of child (AOR = 3.43/95%CI = 1.52−7.72), <40 year age of the offender (AOR = 1.65/95%CI = 1.09−2.51), offender’s history of maltreatment during childhood (AOR = 2.56/95%CI = 1.31−4.99), household financial instability or poverty (AOR = 1.64/95%CI = 1.10−2.45), absence of someone in the community who could watch over the child (AOR = 1.68/95%CI = 1.16−2.44), and the organization as the referral source (AOR = 2.21/95%CI = 1.24−3.93). Using these six predictors, we generated a linear prediction model with a sensitivity and specificity of 45.2% and 82.4%, respectively. The model may be useful to assess the risk of further maltreatment and help the child and family welfare administrations to develop preventive strategies for recurrence.     

Parents' self-reporting of child physical maltreatment in Yuncheng City, China

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of child physical maltreatment (CPM) by parents in a city locating in central-western region of China and identify associated risk factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey was carried out among a randomly sampled population of primary school students’ parents in Yuncheng City. Data on parental CPM during the past 3 months, definition of CPM, Parenting Scale, parent-child interaction attitudes, social support, socio-demographic background were collected by a self-report questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between CPM and related risk factors.

Results

Of parents from 1,394 primary school students, there were 595 (42.7%) and 301 (21.6%) of them reported that they had minor/severe CPM behaviors toward their children during the past 3 months, respectively. The risk factors that were significantly associated with both prevalence and frequencies of minor/severe CPM included child problem behaviors, overreactivity and hostility parenting.

Conclusion

CPM by parents is not uncommon in China. More attention should be paid to programs that help parents learn parenting skills and use nonviolent child discipline.     

A reasonably large review of operationalization in child maltreatment research: Assessment approaches and sources of information in youth samples

Child maltreatment research varies considerably in how maltreatment is measured. Although researchers have advocated for improvements in maltreatment assessment, a first step is a clear understanding of the status on how the field operationalizes maltreatment. The current paper sought to achieve this goal through reviewing research on child maltreatment over a recent 10-year span to identify trends in maltreatment assessment and operationalization. Information on maltreatment measurement was extracted from 338 articles across three major journals devoted to publishing research on child maltreatment. Among the various definitional dimensions of maltreatment, type was the most common way maltreatment was operationalized, followed by severity, frequency, and chronicity, a stable trend across the 10-year span of review. The results indicated that the majority of studies measured maltreatment as consisting of multiple types, although some studies focused on one type of maltreatment as the indicator of child maltreatment. Further, the most common assessment method was the administration of a questionnaire or the combination of two questionnaires with the second most common being summaries from case file review. Recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Prevalence of different forms of child maltreatment among Taiwanese adolescents: A population-based study

Reported cases of child maltreatment are increasing in Taiwan. Yet, comprehensive epidemiological characteristics of adolescents’ exposure over the wide spectrum of violence are still lacking. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and magnitude of child maltreatment among Taiwanese adolescents. A population-based study was conducted with 5,276 adolescents aged 12–18 from 35 schools in 17 cities and townships to determine the prevalence of five forms of child maltreatment in Taiwan. A total of 5,236 adolescents completed anonymous, self-report, structured questionnaires. Most adolescents (91%, n = 4,788) experienced at least one form of maltreatment with 83% (n = 4,347) exposed during the previous year. Violence exposure was the most common type of child maltreatment experienced, followed by psychological abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. Adolescents reported an average of 7.4 (SD = 5.87) victimizations over their lifetime and 4.8 (SD = 4.82) victimizations during the past year. Females reported a higher rate of neglect, while males reported a higher rate of sexual abuse. Most of the sexual abuse perpetrators were known by their victims. Adolescents’ victimization and polyvictimization from child maltreatment in Taiwan deserves a review and modification of national control and prevention policies.     

Developmental trajectories and longitudinal mediation effects of self-esteem,peer attachment,child maltreatment and depression on early adolescents

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to identify the developmental trajectories of peer attachment, self-esteem, depression, and child maltreatment, and to understand the longitudinal mediation effects that peer attachment and self-esteem have on the influence of perceived abuse on early adolescent depression.MethodsThis study uses Year 1 to Year 5 data of the 4th grader panel of the Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) and utilizes a multivariate latent growth model to analyze the main variables in the applicable data between 5th (i.e., Year 2) and 8th (i.e., Year 5) grades.ResultsThe results indicate that from the 5th to the 8th grade, the degree of abuse and depression increases while self-esteem gradually decreases with slowly lowering peer attachment. A significant distribution of the initial values and the rate of change were present for all main variables of the study, confirming individual differences in time wise changes. Further, more exposure to abuse correlated with a decrease in self-esteem, while an increase in self-esteem greatly reduced depression. The initial value of self-esteem showed a partial mediation effect, whereas the rate of change indicated a full mediation effect with a significant longitudinal mediation effect. More experience of abuse during early adolescence indicated a lower degree of peer attachment, and a higher peer attachment was related to decreased depression. A significant partial mediation effect was present for both the initial value and the rate of change of peer attachment, and a longitudinal mediation effect was present.Practice implicationsThis study confirmed that self-esteem in early adolescents is an important protective factor that can greatly reduce the degree of depression, and suggests continuous interventions conducted to increase self-esteem in adolescence. Furthermore, by determining that peer attachment decreases the degree of depression in children at risk, the study emphasizes the healing aspect of adolescent peer attachment.     

Physical maltreatment of children with autism in Henan province in China: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of child physical maltreatment (CPM) in children with autism aged 2–5 years in Henan province (China), and to explore the risk factors for severe CPM in these children. This cross-sectional study was performed at the Psychology Clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between September 2012 and September 2013 with 180 parents of children with autism. Children and parents had no history of any cognitive therapy. The childhood autism rating scale (CARS) was used to evaluate the severity of autism in children. Data on parental CPM during the past 3 months were collected from parental self-reporting. Logistic regression was used to investigate the risk factors of severe CPM. CPM was self-reported by 88% of the parents of children with autism. One hundred and fifty four of these cases were in the minor CPM group (86%) and 64 in the severe CPM group (36%). Most cases of severe CPM were unlikely to have caused injury. Univariate analyses showed that child's age (p = .018), age started to speak (p = .043) and CARS score (p = .048) were associated with severe CPM. Child's age (p = .011) and CARS score (p = .041) were independently associated with severe CPM. The risk of severe CPM increased with age and CARS score. Our findings showed that CPM is widespread in families of children with autism in Central China and more knowledge should be provided to parents of children with autism, particularly in cases of severe autism (those with high CARS scores).     

Risk of maltreatment for siblings: Factors associated with similar and different childhood experiences in a dyadic sample of adult siblings

Siblings share the same environment and thus potentially a substantial number of risk factors for child maltreatment. Furthermore, the number of siblings and the sibling constellation itself might pose a risk for child maltreatment. Little is known about the likelihood that more than one child in a family is maltreated and which factors increase the risk. This study sought to investigate similarities and differences in maltreatment in siblings and risk factors associated with the maltreatment of more than one child from the same family. Data on maltreatment during childhood and adolescence, family background, and sibling constellation were collected from 870 pairs of siblings. In the dyadic analyses, siblings reported similar maltreatment experiences, especially when any type of maltreatment was considered. Parents’ mental health problems were significant predictors for maltreatment of at least one sibling. Father’s mental health problems were predictive of maltreatment of both or only the younger sibling, mother’s mental health problems of both or only the older sibling. Closeness in age and same gender of siblings did not emerge as a consistent predictor. The increasing number of siblings was a risk factor for any type of maltreatment of both siblings. The results highlight the need for preventive measures for families with a large number of children and with parents with mental health problems as well as a repeated risk assessment of all siblings in a family when one sibling was maltreated.     

韩剧热播对我国青少年文化建设的启示

“韩流”影响的主体以青年学生为核心,以社会中老年为外延。作为“韩流”重要组成部分的韩剧在我国热播,自然在青少年中掀起了不小的浪潮。本文分析韩剧对我国青少年的影响以及韩剧对我国建设青少年文化带来的启示。     

The development of the protective factors survey, 2nd edition: A self-report measure of protective factors against child maltreatment

BackgroundThe Protective Factors Survey (PFS) is a self-report measure of multiple family-level protective factors against abuse and neglect. It is the only peer-reviewed valid and reliable tool collecting data on multiple protective factors, and is widely used by practitioners in child abuse prevention and related fields.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to revise the PFS in response to feedback from practitioners, and analyze the internal structure of new items.Participants and settingData was collected from two Qualtrics panel samples (N = 213 and N = 109).MethodsA team of researchers generated new items informed by the literature on protective factors against child maltreatment and best practices in survey design to address feedback from the field and improve sensitivity to change. We conducted focus groups with caregivers and practitioners to review new items, and then fielded revised items using panel data. We conducted exploratory factor analyses to obtain a small, integrated set of items that tap the targeted protective factors.ResultsExploratory factor analyses yield a five-factor solution. Four of the factors consisting of Family Functioning and Resilience, Nurturing and Attachment, Social Supports, and Concrete Supports. A fifth factor emerged consisting of items intended to capture Social Supports. We adapted these items to measure Caregiver/Practitioner Relationship.ConclusionsWe have developed the PFS, 2nd Edition based on feedback from the field and focus groups with parents and practitioners. Initial evidence from the panel data suggests that the new subscales are internally consistent. Future research will establish reliability and validity.     

Effects of academic performance on the relationship between child maltreatment and deviant behavior: A national study in Taiwan

BackgroundChild maltreatment has been found to significantly increase the risk of deviant behavior. Academic performance has been shown to have an indirect effect on the relationship between child maltreatment and deviant behavior. However, not all adolescents who have been maltreated engage in deviant behavior, so the relationship between child maltreatment and deviant behavior has remained unclear.ObjectiveThe aim of this research was to examine the potential mediating and/or moderating effects of academic performance on the relationship between child maltreatment and deviant behavior.Participants and settingThe data in this study were from a nationwide study examining the consequences of childhood maltreatment in Taiwan. The database consisted of data from 2321 adolescents.MethodsA secondary data analysis was conducted. Self-report data were obtained on childhood maltreatment experiences, academic performance, and deviant behaviors. Path analyses and a generalized linear model were used to examine the effects of academic performance on the relationship between child maltreatment and deviant behavior.ResultsMost participants were male (61.4%), with a mean age of 15.9 years. The mean scores of self-rated academic performance and deviant behavior were 2.86 and 8.2, respectively. A total of 83% participants reported having experienced childhood maltreatment. In this study, academic performance was found to have a moderating rather than a mediating effect on the relationship between child maltreatment and deviant behavior. Among adolescents who had been maltreated during childhood, those who self-rated poorer academic performance were more likely to have a higher deviant behavior score than those who self-rated better academic performance.ConclusionsGood academic performance can be a buffer that reduces the risk of deviant behavior among individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment. Healthcare professionals and educators can tailor early prevention and intervention educational programs targeted toward adolescents with experience of childhood abuse or poor academic performance to prevent the incidence of deviant behavior and thus break the cycle of violence.     

Child maltreatment in the “Children of the Nineties:” deprivation, class, and social networks in a UK sample

Aim: To determine risk factors for child maltreatment within the socio-economic environment of a contemporary UK child population.Methods: The research is based on a large cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Out of 14,256 children participating in the study, 115 have been identified as having been placed on local child protection registers prior to their 6th birthday. Data on the socio-economic environment of the families have been obtained from a series of questionnaires administered during pregnancy and the first 3 years of life. Risk factors have been analyzed using logistic regression analysis.Results: Four indicators of deprivation all showed significant relationships with registration. Adjusted odds ratios were 2.33 for paternal unemployment; 7.65 for council housing; 2.16 for overcrowding; and 2.33 for car ownership. There was a strong relationship between the number of indicators of deprivation and the risk of maltreatment. In a second model, maternal unemployment, high mobility (> 3 house moves in the previous 5 years) and a poor social network were also significant with odds ratios of 2.82, 2.81, and 3.09, respectively.Conclusions: This study confirms the importance of social factors in the etiology of child maltreatment. Social deprivation is an important determinant of child maltreatment, and encompasses a number of different aspects, including financial security, housing situation and material benefits; in addition, the job situation of the parents and the stability and richness of their social networks all have a significant impact on risk of maltreatment. Interventions at both an individual and a community level are important to support families and reduce the risk of maltreatment.     

Association between child maltreatment and prospective and retrospective memory in adolescents: The mediatory effect of neuroticism

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between child maltreatment and prospective and retrospective memory in children/adolescents by investigating the mediating role of neuroticism. In total, 662 children/adolescents aged 10–16 years were recruited from a middle school in China, and they completed questionnaires comprising the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire, and the Neuroticism subscale of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The severity of maltreatment was positively associated with the severity of impairment of memory (prospective and retrospective considered together) in children/adolescents. Children/adolescents exposed to maltreatment tended to display higher levels of neuroticism. Neuroticism partially mediated the association between child maltreatment and memory in all the subjects. The results of multigroup analyses showed neuroticism fully mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and memory for boys, in which the effect size of indirect effect was 0.52, and partially mediated the association for girls with 0.44 effect size of indirect effect. Early intervention aimed to reduce neuroticism might contribute to a better prognosis in children/adolescences with poor memory function.