The burden of child maltreatment in China: a systematic review.

Xiangming Fang,Deborah A Fry,Michael P Dunne,Jingqi Chen,David Finkelhor,Patricia Lannen,Kai Ji

doi:10.2471/blt.14.140970

Abstract

ObjectiveTo estimate the health and economic burdens of child maltreatment in China.MethodsWe did a systematic review for studies on child maltreatment in China using PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL-EBSCO, ERIC and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. We did meta-analyses of studies that met inclusion criteria to estimate the prevalence of child neglect and child physical, emotional and sexual abuse. We used data from the 2010 global burden of disease estimates to calculate disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost as a result of child maltreatment.FindingsFrom 68 studies we estimated that 26.6% of children under 18 years of age have suffered physical abuse, 19.6% emotional abuse, 8.7% sexual abuse and 26.0% neglect. We estimate that emotional abuse in childhood accounts for 26.3% of the DALYs lost because of mental disorders and 18.0% of those lost because of self-harm. Physical abuse in childhood accounts for 12.2% of DALYs lost because of depression, 17.0% of those lost to anxiety, 20.7% of those lost to problem drinking, 18.8% of those lost to illicit drug use and 18.3% of those lost to self-harm. The consequences of physical abuse of children costs China an estimated 0.84% of its gross domestic product – i.e. 50 billion United States dollars – in 2010. The corresponding losses attributable to emotional and sexual abuse in childhood were 0.47% and 0.39% of the gross domestic product, respectively.ConclusionIn China, child maltreatment is common and associated with large economic losses because many maltreated children suffer substantial psychological distress and might adopt behaviours that increase their risk of chronic disease.

Highlights

In the past decade there has been considerable growth in the analysis of the occurrence and consequences of maltreatment and other adversities in childhood.[1,2,3] The maltreatment of children has been found to impair the current and future health and well-being of the children in every country and cultural context in which it has been investigated
The paucity of official statistics on the incidence of child maltreatment reported to judicial, educational, health and social services – and on the economic costs incurred by such services as a consequence of such maltreatment – poses a major barrier to the development of an effective and evidence-based policy for child protection in China
Systematic reviews Burden of child maltreatment in China pants recruited from a student or general population; (iii) quantitative methods were used to estimate the prevalence of the maltreatment of participants when they were younger than 18 years; (iv) reported a lifetime prevalence of child maltreatment; and (v) the recorded maltreatment had been reported directly by the victims

Summary

Introduction

In the past decade there has been considerable growth in the analysis of the occurrence and consequences of maltreatment and other adversities in childhood.[1,2,3] The maltreatment of children has been found to impair the current and future health and well-being of the children in every country and cultural context in which it has been investigated. The results of early descriptive surveys of child sexual[7,8,9,10] and physical abuse[11] and some more recent relevant data[12,13] have been included in global and regional reviews.[2,3,14,15] There has been one systematic review that focused solely on the prevalence of child sexual abuse in China.[16] There have been no comprehensive studies in China that cover all forms of child maltreatment, examine the consistency of the apparent impacts of such maltreatment on health and well-being or estimate the probable economic consequences. The paucity of official statistics on the incidence of child maltreatment reported to judicial, educational, health and social services – and on the economic costs incurred by such services as a consequence of such maltreatment – poses a major barrier to the development of an effective and evidence-based policy for child protection in China

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion