Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic On Violence Against Children: A Narrative Review

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleContributedpeer-review

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The goal of this paper was to explore the different ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected violence against children (VAC). Recent Findings: Recent research of peer-reviewed articles using operational or survey data revealed the pandemic’s impact in terms of institutional responses, risk and mediating factors, changes in VAC dynamics, and a likely increase in child marriage. Summary: Findings include a decrease in institutional responses, activities, and prevention case openings; an increased incidence of interparental intimate partner violence (IPV) witnessing cases, hospital admissions for suspected Abusive Head Trauma (AHT), other pediatric injuries, and sexual violence; a change in family conflict dynamics; and an estimated increase in child marriages. It also revealed mediating factors between the relationship of the pandemic and VAC (such as parental stress and mental health symptoms), as well as risk factors observed by service providers, which include the risk of mental health symptoms of both parents and children. Post-pandemic VAC research can be improved by utilizing operational or survey data in a meaningful way to be able to derive sound intervention approaches to diminish the pandemic’s impact on VAC and child marriage. We also propose for researchers to integrate child marriage into the definition of VAC.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)533-543
Number of pages11
JournalCurrent psychiatry reports
Volume25
Issue number10
Early online date18 Sept 2023
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-1938-3414/work/143074920
ORCID /0000-0002-7472-674X/work/143075865
Mendeley bd00d4a4-fe15-3395-a23c-1d047cd5f024
Scopus 85171427435

Keywords

Research priority areas of TU Dresden

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • COVID-19 pandemic, Child marriage, Impact, Narrative review, Post-pandemic implications, Violence against children, Parents/psychology, Violence, Humans, Pandemics/prevention & control, COVID-19, Intimate Partner Violence/prevention & control, Child