Prevalence, Risks and Prevention of Child Maltreatment in the Middle East

Abstract

Child maltreatment is the most prevalent and underreported issue in the Middle East and across the globe. Misconduct with children has adverse effects on their overall health, well-being, and psychosocial development for the longer term. This review aimed to investigate recent evidence concerning child maltreatment, prevalence, risks, protective factors, and outcomes in the Middle East; it also evaluated warranted prevention strategies to combat the rising cases of child maltreatment and minimize its serious adversities. Sixty-five primary and secondary studies were included in this study after rigorous screening through PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Google scholar, CINAHL, and Proquest. Evidence revealed an 88% incidence of child maltreatment in the Middle East. Factors including economic crises, lack of education, and substance abuse add to the maltreatment exposure of vulnerable children. Findings indicated the adverse impact of maltreatment on the overall mental and physical health and social development of the affected children. The protective factors include community support, self-regulation, child prevention awareness campaigns and training, social competence, and high self-esteem. In conclusion, findings from this review emphasized the need to address child maltreatment in the Middle East and formulate viable approaches to improve parenting skills, satisfy the nutritional/financial requirements of underprivileged families, and improve interpersonal relationships of children with their caretakers.