Child Abuse Questionnaire Research Articles

Investigation of the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Its Influencing Factors by Parents

Background: The prevalence of child abuse is increasing globally, and this form of abuse can lead to severe and long-term problems in adulthood. In Iran, child abuse ranks as the most common form of domestic violence. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of abuse and its influencing factors among elementary school children. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2023 in the city of Abadan. A total of 378 students from grades two to six in seven schools were selected using cluster and random sampling methods. The research instruments included a demographic questionnaire and a standard child abuse questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS21 software, with both descriptive and analytical statistics applied. Results: The average age of the children was 10.43 years. The most common form of child abuse reported was parental neglect, with a prevalence of 75.53%. A significant relationship was found between physical abuse and factors such as the father's education (P = 0.001), parental illness (P = 0.001), parental addiction (P = 0.006), and parents' divorce (P = 0.03). Additionally, psychological abuse was significantly associated with the mother's education (P = 0.001), parental addiction (P = 0.02), loneliness at home (P = 0.002), and the child's grade (P = 0.001). Parental neglect showed a significant relationship with the child's grade (P = 0.014), birth order (P = 0.004), and place of living (P = 0.053). Conclusions: The most common form of abuse among students was parental neglect. A lack of parental awareness regarding appropriate child-rearing behaviors can contribute to child abuse. Therefore, it is recommended that schools and other relevant institutions increase efforts to educate parents on preventing various forms of abuse.

Physical Child Abuse Among Secondary School Students in A Community in Benue State

The study aimed to examine occurrences of physical child abuse among secondary school students in a community in Benue State. The study utilized a cross-sectional research design to achieve its objectives. The data collection instrument used was the Physical Child Abuse Questionnaire (PCAQ). The study took place in Igumale, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State. The survey included 800 secondary school students from six secondary schools in Igumale. There were 300 respondents in the sample. Three experts from the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, face validated the instrument. The instrument’s reliability was determined by testing the Spearman’s rank order correlation formula, resulting in a reliability coefficient of .842. The data from PCAQ copies was encoded and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) version 22 for Windows. The research questions were answered using frequencies and percentages. 58.7 per cent of secondary school children in Igumale experienced physical child abuse. 60.0 per cent of secondary school students aged 10-14 experienced physical abuse, which is higher than the 56.9% of students aged 15-19. The percentage of male secondary school students who encountered physical abuse (60.5%) is greater than the percentage of female students who experienced physical abuse (57.3%). The percentage of physical abuse among parents with no formal education is 59.6%, primary education is 52.6%, secondary education is 76.9%, and tertiary education is 49.2%. Therefore, parents with secondary education have the highest rate of physical abuse. The recommends greater investment in programmes that have shown effectiveness in averting abuse before it occurs.

Factors Associated with Intention to Report Child Abuse among Early Childcare Providers in North-eastern Preschools, Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Despite the rising number of child abuse in Malaysia, there are only few studies documenting early childcare providers' (ECPs') intention to report child abuse. ECPs play a vital impact because they closely interact with the children and nearly daily observe them. They should take the lead in ending the cycle of abuse in order to safeguard the children. The aim of our study was to determine the factors that influence ECPs' intentions to report child abuse. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 457 ECPs working in preschools registered under the Community Development Department in Kelantan, the North-eastern part of peninsular Malaysia participated in a cross-sectional study utilising the Early Childhood Educators Child Abuse Questionnaire (ECECAQ) in Malay, which has been validated. RESULTS: Increasing knowledge was significantly associated with the intention to report to the authorities as revealed by multiple logistic regression. CONCLUSION: Our findings justify the need for a comprehensive module and integrated standardized training on child abuse for ECPs in Malaysia to improve their knowledge, thus empowering them to report any child abuse case.

Comparison of child abuse history in patients with and without overactive bladder: a case-control study.

This study aimed to compare the occurrence of maltreatment in children with OAB to healthy children referred to Amirkabir hospital, Arak. This study included 100 children with overactive bladder and 100 healthy children without overactive bladder (ages 5-12years) as case and control groups, respectively. Children referred to paediatric clinic at Amirkabir hospital in Arak, were selected as participants. Child abuse domains including psychological/emotional, physical, and neglect were diagnosed using a standardized child abuse questionnaire answered by the children. Data were analyzed by SPSS version χ2 test, t-test, and Pearson's χ2 test. The Prevalence of child maltreatment was significantly greater in the case group (31 cases) than in the control group (12 cases) (P<0.0001). The psychological/emotional domain of child abuse was observed in 19 case group participants and 4 control group participants (P=0.001), and the physical domain was observed in 29 case group participants and 11 control group participants (P<0.0001). Despite this considerable difference, 10 and 8 children in the case and control groups, respectively, scored positively for the neglect domain (P=0.112). Child abuse is considerably more common in children with OAB than in healthy children, especially in the psycho-emotional and physical domains, and it is possible to prevent and treat this condition by notifying parents. Children with OAB should also be subjected to child abuse screening.

Relationship of Parental Alexithymia and Neglect with Healthy Children's Maladjustment in Families with and Without Autistic Children

Background: Family factors predict the incidence of developmental incompatibilities and psychological disorders. Moreover, having a child with autism can be an overwhelming experience for some families. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the role of neglect and alexithymia in parents with or without an autistic child on the maladjustment level of their healthy children. Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, two groups of families with (n = 16) and without (n = 16) an autistic child in the cities of Zahedan and Birjand were selected by the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Child Abuse Questionnaire (self-report scale), and Rutter's Child Behavior Disorders Questionnaire (parent form), which were then analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression test. Results: Significant results were obtained for specific and joint relationships between parental alexithymia and neglect and maladjustment of their healthy children (P = 0.041). However, the results obtained for the effect of the presence or absence of an autistic child in the family as a moderating variable were not significant (P = 0.556). Parental alexithymia had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.565, P = 0.001), and parental neglect had a significant negative correlation (r = -0.393, P = 0.029) with maladjustment of healthy children in the family. Conclusions: Neglect and alexithymia in parents specifically and jointly correlate significantly with their healthy child's maladjustment. However, the presence or absence of an autistic child in the family has no significant effect on this relationship. Parental alexithymia is a stronger predictor of the maladjustments of healthy children.

Bullying Perpetration: The Role of Child Abuse and Self-Esteem among Secondary School Students in Ile-Ife

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of child abuse and self-esteem on bullying perpetration among secondary school students in Ile-Ife, Osun State. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 324 participants. They responded to the child abuse questionnaire, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and the Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument. Findings revealed that self-esteem did not predict the three forms of bullying. The experience of physical and emotional childhood abuse predicted verbal, social and physical bullying, while sexual childhood abuse predicted social and physical bullying. Based on these results, it was recommended that parents should be conscious of corporal punishment and other activities that could lead or reflect as abuse and neglect on their children.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 21 June 2022 / Accepted: 26 August 2022 / Published: 2 September 2022

Effect of parental training program on the prevention of child abuse in school-age (boys) children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of parent education on the prevention of behavior abuse of school-age (boys) children. This study is a semi-experimental study with Two- group control and One intervention group and One control group. A total of 74 parents and schoolchildren 10-12-year-old who had the inclusion criteria: Iran National – Parents are at least literate – Mother parent – Child 10 -12years old – Lack of education in child abuse prevention in Mother parent and child -Healthy child and Parents. were randomly divided into control group (n = 37) and intervention group (n = 37). Sampling was conducted at a government boys' school in Najaf Abad city of Isfahan province in 2019 for 3 months. Training sessions were held for parents for three consecutive weeks and each session lasted 90 minutes. The data gathering tool was the Child Abuse Questionnaire whose validity and reliability was measured.

Socio-Cultural Variables and Child Abuse in Akwa Ibom State

This study examined socio-cultural variables and child abuse in Akwa Ibom State. Four objectives, four research questions and four hypotheses guided this study. A correlation research design was used and the population of this study was 57,004 students in senior secondary II classes in the 253 public secondary schools for the 2020/2021 academic session in the study area and a sample size of 570 students from 11 of the schools selected through simple random sampling technique was used for the study but 526 students returned the questionnaires. A researcher-made questionnaire named Socio-Cultural Variables and Child Abuse Questionnaire with reliability coefficient of 0.74 was the instrument for data collection. The instrument was duly administered on the respondents and the data collected were used in testing the hypotheses formulated. The data were analyzed using Pearson product moment correlation at .05 alpha level. The findings of the study showed that poverty, domestic violence, child rearing practices and family structure significantly related with child. Based on these findings, it was concluded that socio-cultural variables significantly contribute to child abuse in Akwa Ibom State. It was recommended that parents/guardians irrespective of the family structure should strive as much as possible to provide for their children, positively influence them, and raise them properly with love so that they can develop the right attitude to life rather than allowing life situations to make them abuse their children.

Association between patterns of adverse childhood experiences, screen time and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among middle school students

The aim of this paper is to understand the relationship between patterns of adverse childhood experiences(ACEs), screen time and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors(NSSI) among middle school students. Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 14 500 middle school students(7347 boys and 7153 girls; 7247 junior high school students and 7253 senior high school students; 7619 urban students and 6881 rural students) from Shenzhen, Guiyang, Nanchang and Zhengzhou Cities. Questionnaire surveys were conducted using the child abuse questionnaire, household dysfunction questionnaire, non-suicidal self-injury behavior questionnaire and screen time items. The latent class analysis was used to evaluate the ACEs exposure patterns, and multivariable logistic regressions was used to analyze the association between patterns of ACEs, screen time levels and their combined effects with NSSI. Latent class analysis indicated four distinct patterns of ACE exposure: highly ACEs group(6.3%), highly abuse and neglect group(21.4%), lowly ACEs group(26.8%), highly neglect group(45.5%). Those in highly ACEs(OR=4.65, 95%CI 3.73-5.80), highly abuse and neglect(OR=3.43, 95%CI 2.91-4.06) and highly neglect(OR=1.31, 95%CI 1.11-1.55) group had significantly higher risk of NSSI compared with those in lowly ACEs group(P&lt;0.001). In study days(OR=1.72, 95%CI 1.42-2.08) and weekends(OR=1.42, 95%CI 1.27-1.60), high screen time were associated with increased rate of NSSI(P&lt;0.01). There showed a trend toward increased risk of NSSI with increasing ACEs exposure and screen time level(P&lt;0.05). High ACEs exposure patterns and high screen time are associated with increased rate of NSSI. Reducing ACEs exposure and controlling screen time is beneficial to the prevention and control of NSSI in middle school students.

Incidence of sexual and psycho-social abuse of girl child in Birnin Kebbi and Jega towns, Nigeria

Introduction: Girl-child’s sexual and psycho-social abuse is an important social problem worldwide which affects the physical, mental, psychological health of a girl-child, these incidences occurs in homes, families, schools, communities, and other places where girl-child should feel safe. Purpose: This paper was designed to investigate the incidence of sexual and psycho-social abuse of girl child in Birnin Kebbi and Jega towns. Two hypotheses were raised to guide the study. Methodology: Descriptive survey design was employed in the study. The population of the study comprised of the entire SSSII students from eight public girls secondary schools in Birnin Kebbi and Jega towns. A sample of 300 students was drawn from the population of 3,017. Stratified random sampling was used to determine the sample size of each school in the quantitative approach. Simple random sampling was used to select the actual students that participated in the study. Girl Child Abuse Questionnaire (GCAQ) was adopted to collect the data. Experts in the relevant field validated the instrument, while the reliability coefficient was established using Cronbach Alpha at coefficient of 0.79. Results/Findings: Based on the result of the study, significant difference existed in hypotheses 1-2. The study found that Birnin Kebbi town is more prone to abuse than Jega town. Recommendations: It was recommended that parents should discipline children with love in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity so as to avoid the rate at which girls are involved in sexual assault and sexual abuse.

Perceived child abuse and neglect in hospitalized children with special health care needs in Iran

Background:Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) is an important public health concern. Nurses play a key role in caring for the children and keeping them safe from abuse and neglect. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of perceived CAN in Hospitalized Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) as well as the relationship between the rate and some effective factors.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive cross-sectional study on 199 CSHCN aged 6–18 years old, admitted to the pediatric wards in an educational hospital, in Isfahan, Iran, in 2018. Children were selected through convenience sampling method and assessed for CAN through a child abuse questionnaire. The Pearson correlation coefficient and Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data. The p values smaller than 0.05 were regarded as significant.Results:According to the findings, 173 children (86.93%) had perceived CAN, the average total score of which was 9.36 contributing commonly to malnutrition 3.01 (2.36) followed by psycho-emotional abuse 2.71 (1.76), neglect 1.62 (1.23), and physical 1.52 (1.08) and sexual 0.54 (0.31) abuse based on mean (SD). Statistical analysis indicated a significant effect of child's age, economic situation of the family, mother's education and occupation, and parents' illness on the total score of perceived CAN (p < 0.05).Conclusions:Malnutrition was found to be the most common type of perceived CAN. Therefore, parents and the health system are advised to prioritize nutritional needs when planning their nutrition.

Increasing Prevention Knowledge of Sexual Violence and Emotional Maturity on Children through the Mini-Movie Media

Sexual violence against children is one of the world’s problem that has an impact on the mental, physical, and psychological conditions such as depression, fear, shame, which can lead to suicide for the victim. The level of prevention knowledge and emotional maturity in the child needs to be grown. Objective of this study was analyze the effect of mini movie on the level of knowledge prevention of sexual violence and the level of emotional maturity in school-age children. This study used quasi experimental design with two groups and involved 85 students. The Emotional Maturity and Knowledge of Child Abuse Questionnaire used as the instrument. This research conducted used a simple random sampling technique. The collected data were tested use Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon statistical test. The research showed that mini movie media had a significant impact on the level of prevention knowledge sexual violence (p=0.000 and p=0.025) and the level of emotional maturity (p=0.000 and p=0.000). Mini movie media becomes a mass approach in modern era that can provide accurate information in delivering health messages for children. Education through mini movie media can stimulate children's awareness and teacher as an effort to prevent sexual violence. Keywords: motion picture, knowledge, child abuse sexual

The effect of child-abuse on the behavioral problems in the children of the parents with substance use disorder: Presenting a model of structural equations

Child abuse may potentially create the behavioral problems particularly in the children of parents with substance use disorder. Thus, the current study was conducted to investigate the effects of child abuse on the behavioral problems in the children of parents with substance use disorder using the emotional regulation and social skills as mediators. In this paper, the method of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied. The study population included 358 children of parents with substance use disorder whose parents had referred to the addiction treatment center in Kermanshah province, Iran (2017-2018). Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales (CBRS), Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) Questionnaire, and Child Abuse Questionnaire were also used for data collection. IBM SPSS Amos 22 software was utilized for statistical analysis of the obtained data. The SEM was also analyzed to confirm fit of the model. The results showed a direct relationship between the child abuse and behavioral problems so that, the boys outperformed the girls in this regard. The findings also suggested a significant relationship between the family characteristics and behavioral problems. On the other hand, family characteristics and emotional regulation had direct and significant effects on improvement of the social skills (P < 0.001). The results revealed a direct effect of child abuse on the behavioral problems in the children of parents with substance use disorder. Thus, it is suggested to take a preventive approach toward child abuse in the children of parents with substance use disorder by employing a comprehensive program and intervention methods.

Effect of parental alcohol abuse severity and child abuse and neglect on child behavioural disorders in Kerala

BackgroundParental alcoholism and child abuse and neglect are significant mental health concerns for children living in alcoholic families. Near complete dependence of children of alcoholic parents for care and support aggravate risk for neglect and abuse in alcoholic families. Neglectful and abusive, and thus less optimal familial environments for child rearing tend to results in behavioural problems in children of alcoholics in terms of internalizing and externalizing disorders is rather limited in Indian context. ObjectiveTo examine the influence of parental alcohol abuse severity and child abuse and neglect on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviours, ADHD and global behavioural disorders in children of alcoholic parents in Kerala. Participants and settingIn a cross-sectional community based survey, we randomly selected 4133 alcoholic parents and their children aged between 6–16 years from seven districts of Kerala, south India. MethodAlcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, Child Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire and Child and Adolescent Behavioural Inventory, and Social Desirability Scale, were used to measure alcohol use severity, child abuse and neglect, child behavioural disorders and parental social desirability. ResultsHazardous and harmful alcohol uses, child emotional neglect and abuse, physical and psychological neglect and abuse significantly worsened children’s internalizing disorders (R2 = .219). Parental hazardous and harmful alcohol uses, emotional neglect and abuse, physical and psychological neglect and abuse significantly worsened externalizing disorders and living standard inversely effected (R2 = .173). Living standard, alcohol dependence symptoms, harmful alcohol use, emotional, physical and psychological abuses significantly increased ADHD (R2 = .132). Hazardous and harmful alcohol uses, emotional neglect and abuse, physical and psychological neglect and abuse significantly increased children’s behavioural disorders (R2 = .251). ConclusionsResults warrants an urgent need for effective policy response that recognize children as an integral part of regular de-addiction service provisions, who need therapeutic interventions.

Comparison of child abuse history in patients with and without functional abdominal pain: a case-control study

BackgroundGastrointestinal (GI) disorders are ranked first amongst medical diseases as a trigger of requests for mental health counselling. Child abuse has been regarded as one of the main causes of the development of functional abdominal pain (FAP) in children. This study aimed, therefore, to compare the prevalence of child abuse experience among two groups of patients with and without FAP.MethodsA case-control study of children in Arak, Iran, in which experience of child abuse was compared in children with (n = 100) and without functional abdominal pain (n = 100). Three categories of child abuse - emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect - were assessed using the Child Abuse Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Stata software.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, there were group differences in emotional abuse (96% vs. 81%, aOR = 5.13, 95% CI: 1.3–20.3, p = 0.017), neglect (28% vs. 8%, aOR = 4.27, 95% CI: 1.8–11.8, p = 0.001) and total child abuse score (98% vs. 84%, aOR = 8.2, 95% CI: 1.5–43.8, p = 0.014) but not in physical abuse (57% vs. 46%, aOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 0.81–2.60, p = 0.728).ConclusionsAs the prevalence of child abuse is higher in patients with FAP, child abuse appears to be related to the occurrence of FAP in children. However, the results of this study cannot be generalized to Iranian society generally and further longitudinal studies are recommended.

The Role of Childhood Abuse Experience and Early Maladaptive Schemas in Predicting Impulsivity Among Patients with Psychiatric Disorders

Background: The lifelong consequences of child abuse encompasses mental health problems, to have experience of child abuse and early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), could result to impulsive behavior, in a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the role of childhood abuse experience and EMSs in predicting impulsivity among patients with psychiatric disorders in Zahedan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. Patient and Methods: The present research was a descriptive-analytical study. The research sample included 151 patients referring to psychiatric treatment centers. The sampling process was carried out following a pilot study, and the samples were selected from the patients who referred to psychiatric treatment centers in Zahedan from December 30, 2017 to July 29, 2018. The participants then filled out Barratt Impulsiveness scale (BIS-11), the short version of Young Schema questionnaire (YSQ), and Mohammadkhani’s Child Abuse questionnaire (CASRS). The collected data was analyzed with SPSS software version 21, using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency, mean, and standard deviation), and inferential statistics (i.e., stepwise linear regression model). Results: The result showed that there was a significant positive correlation between childhood abuse and EMSs with impulsivity. Disconnection/rejection and other-directedness could predict motor impulsiveness (F = 38.17, p < 0.001). On the other hand, cognitive impulsiveness could be predicted by neglect and disconnection/rejection (F = 18.60, P < 0.001). Impaired autonomy, performance and impaired limits were also the predictors of non-planning impulsiveness (F = 39.73, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Childhood abuse experience and EMSs may lead to inefficient interpersonal relationships, risky behaviors, self-harm, harmful behaviors towards others, and decreased mental health during an individual’s lifetime.

Validity and reliability of the psychometric properties of a child abuse questionnaire.

Few valid and reliable measures of professional self-efficacy and its influence on reporting child abuse and neglect (CAN) are available. To test the psychometric properties of the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Self-Efficacy (CANRSE) (English) questionnaire. The Psychometric Grading Framework graded the strength of the psychometric properties of CANRSE (English) as 'good'. CANRSE can be measured using this tool, having been tested with a cohort of Australian health professionals. CANRSE can be used in Australian healthcare settings and will benefit health disciplines by examining the influence of self-efficacy on CAN reporting in clinical practice and research. The psychometric properties of CANRSE (English) provide evidence to support the assertion that it is a reliable instrument to measure self-efficacy in reporting CAN cases. The validity and reliability of CANRSE (English) have been established. Future research should focus on larger studies testing a shorter version of the tool.

Estimation of the Predictive Powers of Parental Support and Domestic Violence on Child Abuse Among Primary School Pupils in South-East, Nigeria

The general purpose of the study was to estimate the predictive powers of parental support and domestic violence on child abuse among pupils in South-East, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. The study adopted a correlational survey research design with a population of 481,533 primary five pupils in public primary schools in South-East, Nigeria. A sample of 400 primary five pupils&amp;rsquo; was drawn using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Three instruments were used for data collection: Parental Social Support Questionnaire (PSSQ), Parental Domestic Violence Questionnaire (PDVQ) and Child Abuse Questionnaire (CAQ). The reliability of the instrument was established by trial-testing on 30 primary five pupils that were not part of the sample. Cronbach&amp;rsquo;s Alpha Reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instruments. The reliability coefficients of 0.88, 0.80 and 0.75 were obtained for parental social support questionnaire, parental domestic violence and child abuse questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using simple linear regression analysis. Specifically, the Coefficient of Determination (r2) was used to answer research questions and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) aspect of simple linear regression was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that parental social support significantly predicted child abuse negatively while domestic violence significantly predicted child abuse positively. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that parents should provide enough social support to their children&amp;rsquo;s proper development and emotional stability.

Survey evidence of the decline in child abuse in younger Canadian cohorts.

Physical and sexual abuse in childhood is a worldwide phenomenon with potentially dramatic consequences of both a psychological and physical nature. Measures of primary prevention have been developed in some countries. In the USA, child protection services reports and research surveys indicate that child sexual abuse has been on the decline in recent decades. Results are less clear for physical and overall abuse. The aim of this study was to describe how childhood abuse has changed over the years in Canada through an analysis of the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health Edition data. The sample comprised 22,775 respondents ages 20 and over who completed a child abuse questionnaire. Respondents born from 1983 to 1992 reported significantly less overall abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse than did older generations, with the exception of people born in 1942 or earlier. The decrease was observed among men and women and across all the regions of Canada.Conclusion: The results are encouraging in that they may have an impact on life expectancy, severity of various chronic disorders, and suicide in the population. They also support policies that have focused on improving the childhood environment in the 1990s. Results also underline the importance of using different kinds of data sources for evaluating child abuse. What is Known: • Physical and sexual abuse in childhood has been associated with lower life expectancy in connection with an array of chronic diseases, including mental disorders, and with suicide. • Measures of primary prevention have been developed in some countries, such as the USA and Canada. What is New: • Canadians born from 1983 to 1992 report significantly less overall abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse than older generations do. • These encouraging results support policies implemented in the 1990s focused on improving the childhood environment.

Emotional Schema Therapy Improves Emotion Regulation in Individuals with a History of Child Abuse and Neglect

Research conducted over the past decade indicates that difficulties in emotion regulation are more prevalent among those who have been abused than in individuals with no such experiences. Emotional Schema Therapy (EST), which is an integration of cognitive and metacognitive models as well as acceptance-based approaches, specifically targets content of beliefs about emotions and dysfunctional coping strategies to deal with difficult emotions. This study provides an initial evaluation of the efficacy of EST in addressing difficulties in six dimensions of emotion regulation in women with a history of child abuse or neglect. The statistical population consisted of all female residents of Isfahan, Iran, aged above 18 years. Five hundred volunteer women responded to a Child Abuse and Neglect questionnaire. Individuals who had higher scores on this questionnaire were invited to participate in the research project. Thirty volunteer participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (n1 = n2 = 15). The intervention was a 15-session group therapy consisting of cognitive, behavioral, experiential, and mindfulness techniques. Participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) 2 weeks before and after the treatment and at 2 months follow-up. The same assessments were conducted with the control group. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U Test, Friedman Test, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Results showed that EST significantly improved acceptance of emotional responses, goal-directed behaviors, impulse control, and adaptive emotion regulation strategies in both post-test and follow-up assessments in the experimental group. In contrast, the control group did not have any significant changes on these variables. Significant changes were not detected for lack of emotional awareness and lack of emotional clarity in both groups. These findings indicate that EST is a potential effective treatment to improve aspects of emotion regulation in women with a history of child abuse and neglect.