Child Abuse Prevention Programs Research Articles

Technology-Based Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Programs: A Systematic Review

Child abuse and neglect is a widespread social problem. The prevalence of this problem threatens the present and future of children. Although various prevention programs have been proposed in the literature as a solution to the problem of child abuse and neglect, recently, technological applications have been increasingly used in prevention and intervention studies for abuse and neglect. This study aims to review the current literature on technologically assisted programs for preventing child abuse and neglect. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was used to identify eligible studies. 22 evidence-based studies with pretest-posttest control were included in the review. The reviewed programs were structured to educate parents, children, and various professionals on appropriate parenting skills and child abuse and neglect. In the studies reviewed, web/internet-based applications were mostly used and effectiveness evaluation studies were mainly conducted on parents. With the exception of one study, the programs were found to be effective following interventions for abuse and neglect, and cognitive and behavioral improvements were noted in parents, children, and other professionals. As a result, it can be said that technology-based prevention programs are accepted practices for child abuse and neglect. To date, however, there is little data to support the use of such studies in preventive practices and strategies. More studies are needed to test the effectiveness of technological applications in preventing abuse among children and adolescents.

Evaluation of a child abuse prevention program for unmarried mothers in South Korea: a single-case experimental design.

The purpose of this study is to apply and evaluate the effectiveness of a child abuse prevention program based on the Nursing Model of Resilience and Coping Skills Training Model for unmarried mothers during pregnancy and puerperium. This study had a prospective single-case, AB design with four repeated self-questionnaire measures and three observational measures. Seven unmarried mothers were provided with 10 sessions child abuse prevention program through individual visits from 32 to 34 weeks of pregnancy to 6 weeks after childbirth. The questionnaire was composed related to resilience, maternal stress, maternal attitude, parent-child interaction, child abuse potential. The observation was measured by video recording (total 16 times) the interaction of parent-child during feeding and analyzing it by three experts. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman's test. Maternal attitude and parent-child interaction were statistically significantly improved after intervention compared to before intervention. However, maternal stress decreased after intervention compared to before intervention, but it was not statistically significant. Also, resilience and child abuse potential were not statistically significant. This program is partially effective in preventing child abuse by promoting parenting attitudes and parent-child interactions. This study focused on individual resilience and applied systematic intervention as coping skills training to prevent child abuse. This study is meaningful in that interventions were conducted through individual visits to unmarried mothers at high risk of child abuse, and the program was applied, including pregnancy and postpartum periods, to prevent child abuse early.

Validation of a cultural adaptation of the Children's Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire (CKAQ-RIII) in primary school children in Iran.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the cultural adaptation and validation of the Children's Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire (CKAQ-RIII). This tool, which is used in Iranian primary schools, examines children's understanding of the concepts of sexual abuse. A sample of 80 primary school children between 8 and 12 years of age was selected from schools in Iran. The questionnaire was administered three times: before and immediately after the Child Abuse Prevention Program and at the three-month follow-up assessment. The included children (n=80) completed the Persian version of the CKAQ-RIII during the three-month follow-up. The internal consistency of the CKAQ-RIII was high for the Inappropriate Touch Scale (ITS) and moderate for the Appropriate Touch Scale (ATS). Analysis of the Pearson correlation coefficients indicated a strong relationship between the ITS and ATS and the overall scores. The mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the ITS showed that the children's knowledge increased after the intervention. In general, higher scores were observed for children in the fifth and sixth grades (11 to 12 years old) after the intervention, indicating greater concept knowledge. Repeated measures ANOVA was also performed on the ATS, which showed a significant increase in children's knowledge. The Persian version of the CKAQ-RIII is an effective and reliable tool for assessing the level of knowledge of the concepts of sexual abuse in Iran.

The effect of child abuse and neglect prevention program on awareness levels and child abuse potential of pregnant women: A randomized controlled study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the effect of the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Program (CANPP) based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) on the awareness levels and child abuse potential of pregnant women. Participants and settingThis randomized controlled study was conducted between July and December 2022 in a family health center of Aydın/Turkey with the participation a total of 30 pregnant women, who were then distributed into two groups as 15 experiment group and 15 control group pregnant women. MethodsThe participants in the experiment group were applied SCT-based CANPP whereas no intervention was applied to the control group. Research data were collected before the intervention, one month after the intervention, and three months after the intervention using the Pregnant Data Collection Form, Child Neglect and Abuse Awareness Scale for Parents (CNAASP) and Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI). Chi-Square and Fisher exact tests, independent groups t-test and repeated measures ANOVA test were used in the statistical analysis of the research data. ResultsThe groups were homogeneously distributed in terms of the descriptive characteristics of pregnant women. Post-test and re-test total CNAASP scores of the experiment group increased significantly compared to the pre-test (p < 0.05), however no such difference was observed in the control group (p > 0.05). After the intervention, CNAASP total scores of the experiment group were found to be significantly higher compared to the control group. Furthermore, post-test and re-test CAPI scores of the experiment group increased significantly compared to pre-test (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThe SCT-based CANPP has been shown to be effective in raising the awareness of pregnant women and reducing their child abuse potential. The application of SCT-based CANPP to pregnancy groups with a similar population can be used with the aim of increasing their awareness and reducing their potential for abuse.

Prevention of Child Maltreatment: Integrative Review of Findings From an Evidence-Based Parenting Program.

This integrative review of the ACT Raising Safe Kids (ACT)-child maltreatment prevention program for parents-focuses on the program's theoretical framework, examines the ACT studies about the effects on caregivers, and discusses the ACT's implications for the practice and public policy. A systematic search of the PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Lilacs databases was performed, along with a search on the ACT Program website and contacting program researchers. Twenty-five studies evaluating the ACT Program were reviewed. The evaluation studies were conducted in the United States, Brazil, Portugal, and Peru. The program improved parenting practices in general and targeted populations such as incarcerated parents, mothers with a history of childhood violence, and mothers of preterm children. Additionally, the program was effective in decreasing child behavioral problems. Overall, the ACT Program effectively decreased hostile, aggressive, and coercive parenting and child behavior problems, which are key predictors of family violence.

School-based prevention education for children and youth with intellectual developmental disabilities

Children with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a heightened risk of experiencing child maltreatment (CM) when compared to their peers without IDD. Despite expanding evidence supporting the efficacy of school-based CM prevention programs, there are limited programs that tailor their lessons to the unique needs of children with IDD. This discussion first presents information regarding the prevalence and risk factors of CM among children with IDD. We then present existing peer-reviewed CM programs that have been developed for children with IDD. Finally, based on the latest research of CM prevention and special education, we present our considerations for a comprehensive school-based CM prevention program for children with IDD. Prevention programs for children with IDD may increase risk awareness among children with IDD and their parents, equip children with IDD with the protective skills necessary to navigate unsafe situations, and decrease the overall incidence of CM against this population.

Birth Spacing and Child Maltreatment: Population-Level Estimates for North Carolina.

We examine population-level associations between birth spacing and child maltreatment using birth records and child welfare records for 1,099,230 second or higher parity children born in North Carolina between 1997 and 2013. Building upon previous research, administrative data linkages were used to address out-of-state migration and family-level heterogeneity in birth spacing and child maltreatment risk factors. Findings provide the strongest evidence to date that very short birth spacing of zero through 6 months from last birth to the index child's conception is a prenatal predictor of child maltreatment (indexed as child welfare involvement) throughout early childhood. Consequently, information about optimal family planning during the postpartum period should become a standard component of universal and targeted child maltreatment prevention programs. However, challenging previous empirical evidence, this study reports inconsistent results for benefits of additional spacing delay beyond 6months with regard to child maltreatment risk reduction, especially for children of racial and ethnic minorities. These findings call for further inquiry about the mechanisms driving the connections between birth spacing and Child Protective Services assessments.

The Devil’s in the Detail: Implementation Fidelity in Evaluating a School-Based Prevention Programme for Children Under 12

PurposeThis paper examines implementation fidelity (IF) and the underpinning conceptual framework drawing on the evaluation of a UK-wide, manualized child abuse and neglect prevention program for elementary schools. We describe and assess our approach to assessing IF and consider how IF can inform program development.MethodWe drew on the literature on program fidelity and critical components of the program evaluated to identify three dimensions of IF: Coverage, Quality and Context. Data was collected through external observations using systemized observation schedules which were extracted to be scored using scoring protocols for each intervention type. Scores were calculated by two researchers with a random sample cross-checked by a third member of the research team.ResultsObservation analysis demonstrated consistency in the coverage of content when delivering assemblies for both younger and older children with at least 76% coverage of content across the assemblies. However, observation analysis revealed greater levels of variability in the delivery of workshops. Material on sexual abuse was less fully covered and children reported that some facilitators lacked confidence and clarity in delivering this material (Stanley et al., 2023).ConclusionOur results indicate the usefulness of systemized observations in capturing coverage of content, these findings underscore the importance of developing scoring protocols and training observers prior to evaluating program delivery. We highlight the significance of integrating implementation fidelity training for program facilitators and implementers to both assist with monitoring and to maintain quality, despite variations in the actual delivery and setting of the program.

Social Information Processing Theory Indicators of Child Abuse Risk: Cultural Comparison of Mothers from Peru and the United States

Much of the research conducted on social information processing (SIP) factors predictive of child abuse risk has been conducted in North America, raising questions about how applicable such models may be in other cultures. Based on the premise that the parents' child abuse risk is affected by both risk and protective factors, the current study considered how specific SIP socio-cognitive risk factors (acceptability of parent-child aggression as a discipline approach; empathic ability; frustration tolerance) as well as social support satisfaction as a resource related to child abuse risk by comparing a sample of mothers in Peru (n = 102) with a sample of mothers in the U.S. (n = 180). Using multi-group regression analyses, the current investigation identified that lower empathy was more salient for the abuse risk of U.S. mothers relative to the salience of lower frustration tolerance for Peruvian mothers. Although effects were observed for the approval of parent-aggression for the child abuse risk of both samples, such approval did not appear to be related to the Peruvian mothers' actual use of such tactics. When considered alongside the socio-cognitive risk factors, greater social support satisfaction did not significantly relate to child abuse risk for either sample. The findings are discussed in reference to future cross-cultural work that may need to better examine how factors may or may not be universal to craft more culturally informed child abuse prevention programs.

Daily work stress and parent-to-child aggression: moderation of grandparent coresidence

Parental work stress was associated with parenting irritability and use of harsh disciplinary practices, but little is known about how daily fluctuations in work stress proliferate to everyday parenting practices in the context of multigenerational living. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined how grandparental coresidence moderates the link between daily work stress and parent-to-child aggression (PCA). Using propensity scores, we matched 129 three-generation households with 133 two-generation households in Zhengzhou, China, based on multiple family characteristics. Parents in both groups completed daily questionnaires for 15 consecutive days. Fixed effects models estimated the within-person associations between parent daily work stress and PCA among the two comparison groups. We found substantial daily fluctuations in parent work stress and PCA. The association between parent daily work stress and PCA significantly varied between two- and three-generation families and was only significant among the former. We conclude that co-residing grandparent(s) could be an important resource that buffers the work-to-PCA stress proliferation. Child abuse prevention programs would likely benefit from concerting with policies supporting the wellbeing of older adults and programs promoting work-life balance.

The TSPCAN project: A qualitative evaluation with undergraduate students trained in child abuse prevention in Turkey

AbstractOrganising primary prevention programs for child abuse and neglect is among the key responsibilities of the Turkish Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (TSPCAN). TSPCAN conducted a project which provided university students who in the future may encounter individuals with child abuse experiences with guidance with regards to a child abuse prevention program. The aim of this study was to qualitatively evaluate the influences of TSPCAN's project on young professionals who were the facilitators of this program as undergraduate students in medical, health and social science degrees. Twenty participants were recruited through a purposeful and convenient sampling method. The data were first collected with a structured questionnaire. Then, two focus groups were conducted with nine (45%) of these participants. Thematic analysis was utilised for both data collection waves. Findings were organised under three themes: (i) aims for participation in the project; (ii) acquired awareness in the project; and (iii) contributions of the project in their professional lives. Findings highlight the importance of including university students in child abuse prevention programs to provide the knowledge and awareness they need as future professionals.

Personalizing Child Protection: The Clinical Value and Usability of a Needs Assessment Instrument in The Netherlands.

Studies on child maltreatment prevention programs show that the effects of these programs are rather small. Drawing on the need principle of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, program effects may be enhanced by properly assessing all the needs of individual families involved in child protection so that programs can be adapted to those needs. Recently, a needs assessment tool (ARIJ-Needs) has been developed in the Netherlands to support child protection practitioners in not only the assessment of treatment needs in individual families, but also in selecting the program(s) and/or intervention(s) that best target those needs. This study assessed the clinical value and usability of ARIJ-Needs by interviewing Dutch child protection practitioners (N = 15). A vignette describing a child protection case was used to examine differences between needs assessments based on unstructured clinical judgment (i.e., without using the assessment tool), and structured clinical judgment in which the assessment tool was used. The results showed that significantly more treatment needs were identified when ARIJ-Needs was used relative to clinical judgment in which ARIJ-Needs was not used. Specifically, needs related to parenting, the parent(s), and the family were identified more often when the assessment tool was used. This is an important finding, as these needs comprise the (changeable) risk factors that are most predictive of child maltreatment and should be addressed with priority to prevent child maltreatment. This study shows that ARIJ-Needs supports practitioners in assessing relevant needs in families at risk for child maltreatment. Study implications and recommendations for improvement of the ARIJ-Needs are discussed.

Empowering Elementary and Middle School Youth to Speak Up and Be Safe: Advancing Prevention of Child Maltreatment with a Universal School-Based Curriculum.

Child maltreatment is a global public health problem, and school-based universal prevention programs such as the Speak Up Be Safe (SUBS) curriculum can be an effective solution to help address child violence. This randomized control study employed a pre-, post-, and six-month follow-up design for students in kindergarten to grade 8, approximately ages 5–13 (n = 2797). Surveys measured the efficacy of the curriculum in increasing students’ knowledge of safety rules and self-protection strategies. The analyses explored the differences at follow-up between the conditions for each index/scale for each grade using an analysis of covariance, which controlled for the pre-survey scores. The SUBS group had significantly higher scores at follow-up than the students in the control group. This study showed that the students learned new knowledge and skills to act upon and identify child abuse and neglect in keeping themselves and others safe. Policy- and decision makers now know that as a child maltreatment prevention program, SUBS can be implemented universally in schools at a low cost, delivering an essential evidence-based safety curriculum that protects students from child maltreatment.

Mental health targets in child maltreatment prevention programs: A systematic review of randomized trials

Mental health is an important contributor to child and family well-being. Conversely, mental illness is a well-recognized risk factor for child maltreatment and repeated involvement with child welfare systems. Presently little is known about how primary and secondary maltreatment prevention programs conceptualize mental health, or if changes to mental health are observed across maltreatment prevention studies. To address this gap in knowledge the current study systematically reviewed twenty years of research to identify and describe the mental health outcomes of caregivers and children who were enrolled in primary or secondary maltreatment prevention outcome studies. Studies were eligible for inclusion if the prevention focused on the general population or families exhibiting early risk factors for maltreatment, employed a randomized controlled trial design, included at least one measure of mental health, contained at least one prospective outcome measure of child maltreatment, and was published in English-language in or after the year 2000. A systematic search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Campbell Library of Systematic Reviews, California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), Child Welfare Information Gateway, and Social Care Online identified 931 studies, thirty-three of which met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen dimensions of mental health were identified across included studies. Measures of mental illness (n = 95) appeared roughly seven times more often than measures of mental well-being (n = 13). Studies reported treatment group improvements to mental health and maltreatment prevention (n = 10), improvements to mental health but not maltreatment prevention (n = 8), improvements to maltreatment prevention but not mental health (n = 5), or neither improvements to mental health nor maltreatment prevention (n = 10). Across programs reporting changes to mental health, the most commonly reported improvements were to child behavior (n = 8) and parenting stress (n = 6). Results indicate primary and secondary prevention programs more often improve mental health than prevent child maltreatment. Future studies aimed at strengthening the efficacy of child maltreatment prevention in community settings should consider targeting additional indicators of mental health that are commonly encountered in community settings, and strengthen measures of child maltreatment to more frequently include multiple indicators and multiple sources. Future studies should also examine the interaction of socioeconomic and structural contributors to mental health and child maltreatment prevention.

School‐based child abuse prevention: The role of school climate in intervention outcomes for teachers

AbstractSchool climate is an important potential mechanism by which school‐based prevention and intervention efforts exert their effects, although this is rarely examined in the context of child abuse prevention programs. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a school‐based child abuse prevention curriculum; the Second Step Child Protection Unit (CPU), on improving teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse and the potential role school climate has on teachers' reporting behaviors. The sample included 162 school teachers participating in a randomized controlled trial who completed assessment measures at three time‐points (pretest, posttest, and 6‐month follow‐up). Results from the current study revealed that the Second Step CPU significantly improved teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse and there was a partial mediation effect of school climate on teacher outcomes at 6‐month follow‐up. These findings add to the literature on child abuse prevention by indicating that a comprehensive child safety intervention is not only effective for improving targeted outcomes, but also for improving the overall school climate. Therefore, understanding school climate as a mechanism of change may promote the successful implementation of school‐based child abuse prevention programs.

What Works in School-Based Programs for Child Abuse Prevention? The Perspectives of Young Child Abuse Survivors

Previous research has shown that youth consider school-based child abuse prevention programs as one of the most important strategies for preventing child abuse and neglect. This study asked young child abuse survivors how school-based child abuse prevention programs should be shaped and what program components they perceive as essential. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 Dutch young adults that were a victim of child abuse or neglect. A literature review that resulted in 12 potential program components was used to guide the interviews. All young adults agreed that school-based child abuse prevention programs are important and have positive effects on children’s awareness of child abuse. Teaching children that they are never to blame for child abuse occurrences was considered one of the most important components of school-based programs, next to teaching children how to escape from threatening situations and to find help, increasing children’s social–emotional skills, promoting child abuse related knowledge, recognizing risky situations, and increasing children’s self-esteem. Further, the participants found it important to provide children with aftercare when a school program has ended. Overall, young child abuse survivors have a strong view on what should be addressed in school-based child abuse prevention programs to effectively prevent child abuse.

School-Based Abuse Prevention Programs for Children With Disabilities: A Qualitative Study of Components and Methods

AbstractChildren with communicative and/or intellectual disabilities are disproportionally affected by abuse when compared to their typically developing peers. In this study, we investigate the key components and teaching methods for abuse prevention programs for use in special schools. The views of parents of children with disabilities were obtained via semistructured individual interviews (n = 6), and the views of special education teachers (n = 7) and practitioners who work with child victims with disabilities (n = 5) via focus groups. Results were coded using thematic analysis and are reported using the behavioural ecological model. Results indicate that children’s rights and empowerment were seen as key components. Videos and role-play were reported as effective interactive teaching methods. Using augmentative and alternative communication strategies, such as pictorial support and manual signs, were thought to increase children’s understanding and participation. We conclude that teacher involvement in school-based abuse prevention is essential to meet the needs of children with disabilities.

Exploring the relationship between childhood adversity and adult depression: A risk versus strengths-oriented approach

BackgroundPrevious research suggests a dose-response relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult depression. Both constructs are also known correlates of child maltreatment risk. ObjectivesThis study examines the relationship between a cumulative count of ACEs and adult depressive symptoms in a sample of families at risk for child maltreatment. The study also aims to determine if a new childhood caregiving environment (CCE) scale predicts adult depressive symptoms as well as or better than the traditional ACE score in this high-risk population, and whether it holds potential as a service needs assessment tool for the child maltreatment prevention field. Participants and settingBaseline survey data from a randomized control trial testing a child maltreatment prevention program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were used. The sample (n = 618) included caregivers reported to and investigated by child protective services (CPS) for allegations of abuse or neglect. MethodsOrdinary least squares regression was used to look at the relationship between the number of ACEs, scores on the CCE scale, and adult depressive symptoms. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the CCE scale items in comparison to ACEs. ResultsA high ACE score was associated with more depressive symptomatology (B = 0.82, p < 0.001). Conversely, adults with higher scores on the CCE scale had fewer depressive symptoms (B = −0.30, p < 0.001). There was also preliminary evidence that the CCE scale may tap into similar underlying constructs as ACEs. ConclusionsGiven that the CCE measure favors strengths-oriented question items, it may be a promising alternative to the risk-oriented ACE score in assessing parental childhood adversities known to be associated with the maltreatment of one's own children, and as an approach for identifying service needs related to childhood trauma in a maltreatment prevention context.

Preventing child maltreatment: Key conclusions from a systematic literature review of prevention programs for practitioners

Child maltreatment (CM) is a worldwide social problem and there is a large consensus that its prevention is of crucial importance. The current literature review highlights CM prevention studies that target practitioners, with the aim of assessing the knowledge in this area, informing future efforts and benefiting the international task of mitigating CM. Specifically, the study presents key conclusions from prevention programs evaluated in peer-reviewed journals from the last decade selected using the PRISMA systematic literature review guidelines. Out of the 26 manuscripts that discussed prevention programs targeted at practitioners, 20 programs were identified. While sexual abuse prevention programs were the most common, followed by programs addressing general child maltreatment, only two studies addressed child physical abuse. More than a third of the prevention programs were interdisciplinary, while healthcare providers had the highest number of specifically tailored programs. The discussion addresses the considerable lack of detail in the relevant manuscripts and urges future efforts to further elaborate on necessary details to enable other researchers and practitioners to better assess and determine the congruence between child maltreatment research and prevention programs. Additionally, some methodological issues in the included manuscripts, such as the lack of control groups and the related challenges, are discussed.

A Multi-Site Study of the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program in Portugal

ABSTRACT The present study examined outcomes of the ACT-Raising Safe Kids (ACT-RSK) program in central Portugal. ACT-RSK is a family violence and child abuse prevention program for parents and caregivers of young children. Forty-one parents of children aged three to nine years completed the ACT-RSK group program and the research measures. The study took place at three community based agencies, one school, and one shelter in central Portugal. Pre/post-program comparisons indicated that, following completion of the ACT-RSK program, ACT completers had improved parenting behaviors, improved responding to perceived child misbehavior, improved monitoring and limit-setting on children’s media use, and improved knowledge of child development.