Childhood Violence Research Articles

Implementing the Power to Kids programme in home‐based (foster) care: Identifying the SAFETY approach

AbstractSexual abuse and dating violence are chronic problems for children and young people in out‐of‐home care. This study explored the impact of a prevention and response programme Power to Kids, which targets harmful sexual behaviour (HSB), child sexual exploitation (CSE) and dating violence (DV) for children and young people in home‐based (foster) care. Twenty‐eight case managers, 25 foster carers and 13 children and young people participated in a mixed methods study in Victoria, Australia informed by the research question: How does the Power to Kids programme impact the sexual health and safety of children and young people in home‐based (foster) care? The data analysis revealed a SAFETY approach whereby the sexual health and safety knowledge of carers and case managers was enhanced, and carers were given permission to have Brave Conversations with children and young people, who could then apply the new knowledge to their lives. Case managers were upskilled in identifying indicators of sexual abuse and empowered to escalate stalled therapeutic and disruption practice when children and young people were identified as experiencing HSB, CSE or DV.

Child abuse: Past, present and future (Review)

From ancient years, both the abuse and murder of children have almost been common practices due to the barbarity of the times, which have become a habit and appear in a number of different forms. Infanticide, as one of these forms, legally became a crime in 318 AD. Sacrifices were often made in the name of a god to infants or even older children, with families often feeling proud that their own child was to be sacrificed for the common good. At around the time of the Renaissance and thereafter, public opinion began to slowly react to the idea of abusing vulnerable children, with the Church taking a more proactive stance, creating shelters in monasteries for abandoned children who were usually unwanted by their families. Later, the first institutions for poor children whose families could not raise them or for orphaned children, appeared in Europe and the USA. However, as the years passed on and there was no care for these institutions, the conditions became unsuitable and the children very often eventually died of hunger, diseases or even abuse. All of this was to take its official place in history with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and has now been signed by 191 countries. The Convention on the Rights of the Child now formally defines child abuse, violence and neglect.

Pencegahan Primer Kekerasan Seksual Anak Melalui Intervensi Berbasis Keluarga di Kota Pontianak

Sexual violence against children is a global phenomenon in various countries, including Indonesia. The lack of knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of parents in education to prevent sexual violence in children is an obstacle in the primary prevention program for this incident. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of family-based interventions through Information and Education Communication (IEC) to prevent sexual violence in children on the knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy of parents. This research is a quasi-experimental research with a one-group pretest-posttest design. The sample size was 40 parents who have adolescence with a purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed by paired t-test. The results of this study indicate that family-based intervention effectively increases parents' knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy s in delivering education to prevent sexual violence in children (p value <0.05). Family-based intention as effective primary prevention of sexual violence against children.

Parental Attitudes and Behaviors Towards the Prevention of Sexual Violence against Children in a Health Perspective

ABSTRACT The role of parents in mentoring the child's growth and development phase is very important. How parents provide sexual education to children has not been widely illustrated, this reality is very concerning, considering that the news exposed today contains a lot about the increase in the level of violence that occurs in children, especially sexual violence. The purpose of this study is to identify parents' attitudes and behaviors towards the prevention of sexual violence in children, especially from a health perspective. This research method uses observational analysis with a cross-sectional study approach. The population and sample were parents who had school-age children (aged 6-12 years) in East Java. The data were taken using a questionnaire containing questions about attitudes and behaviors in terms of the prevention of sexual violence in children carried out by parents and will be analyzed with a chi square test. The results of this study showed that good parental attitudes have a relationship with parental behavior towards the prevention of sexual violence in children in a health perspective with a category of good behavior of 20 respondents, enough 58 respondents, and less 3 respondents. Meanwhile, parents' attitudes are quite good in relationto parental behavior towards the prevention of sexual violence in children in a health perspective with a good category of 6 respondents, enough 43 respondents, and less than 10 respondents. The conclusions of this study show that parents' attitudes in educating and preventing sexual violence against children are influenced by several factors such as education, level of knowledge and parents' habits. Keywords: Attitudes, Behaviors, Parents, Sexual Violence, Children

Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research: Sandra A. Graham-Bermann.

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. The 2022 recipient is Sandra A. Graham-Bermann. Graham-Bermann is a professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and director of the Child Violence and Trauma Lab. Her research focuses on resilience, intimate partner violence (IPV), and community-based intervention programs, along with understanding the psychological mechanisms relevant to how children manage trauma and violence, translating that work into culturally sensitive interventions for families. She has made significant contributions to understanding how IPV and stress affect children's social, physical, and emotional adjustment and to developing measures to assess stress and outcomes. Her work has been translated into important interventions, made easily accessible, and implemented across settings, including with undocumented immigrants in Michigan and Texas and with Native Alaskans. This work has had a huge impact on people often excluded from clinical services. Dr. Graham- Bermann also developed the Kids' Empowerment Program to promote health and wellness in children. This work-from measure development to intervention-exemplifies the development and application of methodologies and interventions to provide direct and immediate solutions to significant and practical problems in the field. Her contributions have been recognized over time with multiple prestigious awards, and she is likewise highly deserving of this distinguished award. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

ARTIGO DE REVISÃOALTERAÇÕES ESTRUTURAIS E BIOQUÍMICAS EM CRIANÇAS VÍTIMAS DE ABUSO INFANTIL: UMA REVISÃO NARRATIVA

Introduction: Humans are defenseless in the first years of life due to the long period necessary for the complete development of the brain, which is shaped by the environment through the neuroplasticity process, and may undergo negative changes according to disastrous experiences. Abuse/violence and child neglect are acts or omissions of care, respectively, potentially capable of causing physical and/or mental harm, actual or potential, against minors under the age of 18. As Brazil reaches alarming levels of violence and child abuse, according to international data linked to the World Health Organization and nationals originating from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), the identification of these victims and the adoption of preventive and therapeutic measures make the role of the doctor in society even more fundamental. Children who are subjected to maltreatment have potential risks of attending with structural and biochemical brain alterations which will have a negative impact, and may even be permanent, distinct intensity and vary according to the patient’s age group. Method: A study was carried out at the FMABC University Center through a narrative literature review in the PubMed database, applying the descriptors ”Child Abuse” and ”Brain Development”, with boleano ”and”. The search time was 2016 to 2022. Thirty-five articles were selected based on the reading of the abstracts of each article and listed in order of relevance. RESULTS: Imaging and population studies allowed the relationship of cases of child abuse with structural, volumetric, biochemical and clinical alterations of patients. Thus, although a mandatory causal effect cannot be traced, the relationship between psychopathology and child abuse is well established. In general, the main structural changes seen in victims of child abuse are the reduction of hippocampus, callous body, anterior cingulate cortex, frontal orbit cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, alterations in the amygdala, cerebellar vermis and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis give basis to the main clinics of these patients. Another point to consider is the hypothesis that certain polymorphisms can together determine how malleable a person is for both positive and negative experiences (phenotypic plasticity). In genetically susceptible people, epigenetic changes induced by maltreatment that, in turn, alter brain development trajectories can, in many cases, represent the beginning of a crucial chain of events that lead to psychopathology and risk of substance abuse, for example. Therefore, in a country like Brazil where child violence reaches alarming levels, it is mandatory to elucidate the influence of violence imposed on the phases of neurological development (structural and biochemical) on psychopathologies, substance abuse and the perpetuation of violence. This devastating scenario determines that public intervention policies should be widely discussed, developed and implemented. Physicians are responsible for the warning to act as early as possible in the diagnosis, both in educational, preventive measures and at the same time of the adoption of appropriate drug and non-drug therapies not only at the time of violence, but over time so that it can identify possible deviations and, thus, act appropriately. Conclusion: According to the information presented, we have that combating this abuse in childhood and the proper monitoring of these people may cause a reduction in the presentation of the clinical conditions of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder, which tend, according to the history of these patients, to present problems of a social nature regarding violence and crime perpetration.

Penguatan Pencegahan Kekerasan Seksual Pada Anak Dan Remaja Di Dusun Kawatu Negeri Honitetu Kecamatan Inamosso Kabupaten Seram Bagian Barat

This community service aims to prevent sexual violence against children and teenagers in Kawatu Negeri Honitetu Hamlet, Inamosso District, West Seram Regency. The issue being faced is the high rate of sexual violence that occurs among children and teenagers in the area. The focus of this service is to provide knowledge and understanding to the community regarding the dangers of sexual violence, the importance of child protection, and preventative steps that can be taken. The method used in this research is a participatory approach through collaboration with the local community. Initial steps involve an in-depth understanding of the social and cultural situation of the village. Next, the research team interacted with local residents, community leaders, and relevant institutions to understand the challenges faced and build trust. This sexual violence prevention program includes several components. First, counseling and education is carried out through workshops, group discussions, and delivery of material to children, teenagers, parents, and educators in the village. The material presented includes identifying signs of sexual violence, how to report incidents, and self-protection efforts. The results of this community service include increasing public knowledge and awareness about sexual violence and how to prevent it. Society has become more sensitive to the signs of sexual violence in children and adolescents, and is able to take appropriate steps to protect them. In addition, the formation of a community network that cares about the issue of sexual violence helps strengthen prevention and protection efforts in Kawatu Negeri Honitetu Hamlet, Inamosso District, West Seram Regency.

Correlates of co-occurring physical child punishment and physical intimate partner violence in Colombia, Mexico and Peru

BackgroundViolent discipline of children and intimate partner violence (IPV) against women are global public health and human rights problems. To address calls for more evidence on intersections, this study aimed to expand knowledge about correlates of physical child punishment, physical IPV against women and their co-occurrence (both) in the same household. MethodsUsing national, population-based survey datasets from Colombia, Mexico and Peru, multinomial logistic regressions examined correlates of three mutually exclusive patterns of violence in the household: physical child punishment (only), physical IPV ever (only) and co-occurrence (both), each compared with no violence, after adjusting for other factors. Logistic regression was used to analyse odds ratios of physical child punishment in households affected by IPV past year and before past year compared with never, after adjusting for other factors.ResultsIn all countries, adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of co-occurrence were significantly higher among women with lower education, more than one child, a child aged 2–5, a partner who tried to socially isolate her, and a history of childhood violence (caregiver violence and/or IPV exposure). They were significantly lower among women who reported collaborative partnerships (joint decision-making and/or shared chores). Co-occurrence was also significantly correlated with a history of child marriage/early motherhood in Colombia and Mexico, partner’s excess drinking in Mexico and Peru, agreement that physical child punishment was necessary in Peru and partner’s history of childhood violence in Colombia and Mexico. Evidence of shared risk factors was strongest for social isolation and caregiver histories of childhood violence and of shared protective factors for collaborative partnership dynamics. In all countries, associations between physical child punishment and physical IPV remained significant after adjusting for other factors, suggesting that correlations could not be explained by shared risk factors alone.ConclusionsThese findings are consistent with several theories relevant for violence prevention: 1) more collaborative, gender equitable partnerships may protect both children and women from violence; 2) violence between intimate partners may ‘spill over’ into violence against children (as correlations could not be explained by shared risk factors alone); and 3) there appears to be strong evidence of intergenerational transmission of violence.

Attitudes and Alcohol Use: Exploring the Pathways From Childhood Violence Exposure to College Dating Violence Perpetration

Attitudes and Alcohol Use: Exploring the Pathways From Childhood Violence Exposure to College Dating Violence Perpetration

Perlindungan Hak Anak: Upaya Pencegahan Kekerasan Anak Melalui Kebijakan Sekolah Ramah Anak

This study aimed to analyze the setting of childfriendly schools to prevent child violence and the standardsetting model for child-friendly schools to protect children’s rights. This study used normative legal research with statutory regulations, concept approaches, and analytical approaches. Collection of secondary legal materials used document study techniques. The data that had been obtained was analyzed using an interpretation technique, namely legal hermeneutics. The study results showed that child-friendly schools were indicators of child-friendly district or city development by the Regulation of the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Number 11 of 2011 to protect children’s rights from violence in the educational environment. The standardization of child-friendly school development based on the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Regulation Number 8 of 2014 required essential components, including policies, curriculum implementation, educators and education personnel trained in children’s rights, child-friendly learning processes, child-friendly facilities and infrastructure, child participation, as well as the involvement of parents, alumni, community organizations, and the business world.

Child exposure to violence and self-regulation in South African preschool-age children from low-income settings

Biological and psychosocial stressors that have been associated with income include family dynamics such as household chaos, family conflict, maternal depression, harsh parenting, lower parental responsiveness, and exposure to violence. Research from high income countries has shown that exposure to violence may have detrimental effects on children's self-regulation, with possible flow-on implications for broad later-life outcomes, but less is known about such links in low- and- middle income countries, where many children live in violent communities and households and where physical punishment remains the norm. This study aimed to investigate exposure to violence, in addition to coercive parenting, and its associations with self-regulation among 243 3- to 5-year-olds (M = 4.7 ± 0.6; 51.9 % female) from low-income settings in Cape Town and who were not attending Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Results showed that self-regulation was not associated with child exposure to community violence, but it was positively associated with coercive parenting (β = 0.17; p = 0.03). The null concurrent associations between exposure to violence and self-regulation suggest the need for additional research aimed at understanding later potential developmental sequelae. It is important that findings regarding coercive parenting are contextualised within local social norms around parenting styles, as well as the influence of living in dangerous communities on parenting practices.

Now Is the Time to Invest in Child and Adolescent Sexual Violence Prevention Programming

Now Is the Time to Invest in Child and Adolescent Sexual Violence Prevention Programming

Experience of childhood sexual violence and its associations with depressive symptoms among university students in Guangdong, China

BackgroundSexual violence, especially childhood sexual violence, is a serious social issue, yet the prevalence of childhood sexual violence among university students is unknown. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of these experiences and assess their associations with depressive symptoms. MethodsThe study included 29,311 participants, mean (SD) age 20.5 (1.4) years, from a cross-sectional survey of a multi-stage stratified cluster random sample from all universities in Guangdong province of China. Data were obtained through an anonymous electronic questionnaire from December 2 to 15, 2019. Undergraduates' experiences of childhood sexual violence were self-reported. Current depressive symptoms were measured by Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). Stress measures in recent months were measured by the College Student Stress Scale. ResultsThe prevalence of childhood sexual violence experience among university students was 4.8 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 4.6 %–5.0 %), 7.3 % (95 % CI = 6.9 %–7.7 %) for female students and 1.8 % (95 % CI = 1.6 %–2.0 %) for male students. Sexual violence in childhood was related to students' current depressive symptoms after adjustment for stress and socio, demographic characteristics (adjusted prevalence ratio (PRa) = 1.36, 95 % CI = 1.30–1.42). Significant differences in the association between childhood sexual violence and depressive symptoms were also found by sex. ConclusionsExperiences of childhood sexual violence among university students are not negligible and associated with their current depressive symptoms. The association between childhood sexual violence and depressive symptoms among female and male students is different. Schools, families, and society as a whole should be encouraged to provide education on healthy sexual behavior preventive interventions related to sexual violence for childhood students.

Lifetime Experience of Gender Based Violence among Female Health Science Students.

Gender based violence is a common public health problem across all parts of the world with women and girls being common victims. Despite the equal risk of unmarried women to experience gender based violence, there is dearth of studies done in Nepal. Thus, this study aims to find out the lifetime experience of gender based violence among unmarried women. This was an analytical cross-sectional study done among female university students, studying at different streams of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel. Ethical approval was taken from Institutional Review Committee of Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (Reference number: 04/21). The calculated sample size was 120 and non-probability sampling technique was used. The study was conducted from March to May 2021. Data was collected by using Google Forms and analyzed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. The lifetime experience of gender based violence was 154 (92%) with Public place violence 140 (91%), childhood violence 92 (60%) and intimate partner violence 67 (44%). Total 45 (27%) of the respondents had witnessed violence in the family and 24 (14%) had experienced discrimination at home. Relationship status, experience of childhood violence and witnessing violence during childhood were associated with gender based violence in the logistic regression. Total 79 (51%) respondents shared about their experience with someone while none reported. Total 41 (28%) respondents mentioned that they never faced gender based violence despite mentioning about experiencing violence in the questionnaire. Lifetime experience of gender based violence was high among unmarried young women with most of the respondents experiencing public place violence.

Trauma history in veterans with bipolar disorder and its impact on suicidality

ObjectivesVeterans are at increased risk for exposure to trauma, developing serious mental illnesses, and death by suicide. History of trauma correlates with worsening outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder. This study investigated associations between trauma exposure (type and timing) and suicide attempt in Veterans with bipolar disorder. MethodsOne hundred six Veterans with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and 815 Veterans with no psychiatric history (age rage = 20–72 years old) completed a clinical questionnaire, the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, and the Traumatic Live Events Questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regressions investigated correlations between diagnosis, time of trauma (before, during, or after the military), trauma type (attack, illness, accident, child violence, child sexual abuse, and adult sexual abuse), and suicide attempt. ResultsSeventy-five Veterans with bipolar disorder had comorbid PTSD. Controlling for PTSD, Veterans with bipolar disorder had a higher prevalence of trauma including physical assault [odds ratio (OR) = 2.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39–5.86] and child sexual trauma (OR = 2.89; CI = 1.38–6.05). Veterans with bipolar disorder who endorsed previous suicide attempts (n = 42) had significantly higher levels of exposure to childhood trauma (OR = 5.69; CI = 1.84–17.62). ConclusionsResults support incorporating history of previous trauma exposure when assessing Veterans at risk for bipolar disorder. Especially, trauma characterized as attack and childhood sexual abuse. Particular attention should be given to Veterans with bipolar disorder and exposure to trauma during childhood, which may be associated with increased risk of suicidality.

Depressive symptoms and violence exposure in a population-based sample of adult women in South Africa.

Depressive symptoms are a major burden of disease globally and is associated with violence and poverty. However, much of the research linking these conditions is from resource-rich settings and among smaller, clinical samples. Secondary data from a household survey in Gauteng Province of South Africa examines the cross-sectional association between adult women's elevated depressive symptoms and markers of violence. Using tablet computers, participants self-completed interview modules to screen for depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 2-item screener), childhood exposure to physical and sexual abuse (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire 4-item index), as well as past-year exposure to sexual or intimate partner violence (SIPV; WHO Multicountry Study instrument 4-item index). Socio-economic status, food security, education, and income were self-reported. Representative data at the ward level allows for modeling of results using survey commands and mixed-level modeling. Of the 7,276 adult women participating in the household survey, 42.1% reported elevated depressive symptoms. A total of 63.9% reported childhood violence exposure and 5.3% had past-year SIPV. Multi-level modeling suggests that violence is a strong predictor of depressive symptoms. Childhood abuse alone increases the odds of high depressive symptomology, after controlling for individual-level markers of poverty and neighborhood of residence (aOR 1.31, 95%, CI 1.17-1.37). Combined exposure to childhood abuse and past-year SIPV increased odds of reporting elevated depressive symptoms (aOR 2.05, 95%, CI 1.54-2.71). Ward characteristics account for 6% of the variance in depressive symptoms, over and above the contributions of household food security and socio-economic status. Exposure to violence in childhood and past-year SIPV were associated with depressive symptoms among women. These associations persist after controlling for socio-economic markers and latent neighborhood characteristics, which also had significant association with elevated depressive symptoms. These data suggest that efforts to reduce the burden of depressive symptoms may benefit from approaches that prevent violence against women and children.

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Factors Associated With Sexual Violence in Adulthood Among Brazilian MSM.

Most studies of sexual violence are with women, and although men who have sex with men (MSM) is the group of the men that has been most investigated for sexual violence, there are still several questions to be answered about sexual violence and sexual revictimization among MSM. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of sexual violence in different stages of life and identify factors associated with sexual violence in adulthood among Brazilian MSM. We conducted an analysis with data from the study conducted in 2016 with 4,176 MSM from 12 Brazilian cities recruited through respondent-driven sampling (RDS), who answered a survey to a set of questions, among which some specific about sexual violence. Most participants were under 25 years old (56.5%), with more than 12 years of schooling (71.2%), mixed race (40.8%), single (86.2%), and belonging to some religion (50.9%). The lifetime prevalence of sexual violence was 20.3%. In our analyses, having experienced sexual violence in childhood and adolescence increased the odds of experiencing sexual violence in adulthood (prevalence ratio ratios [PRR] 4.93 (95% CI [1.99, 12.21]), as did experiencing physical violence (PRR 1.99; 95% CI [1.07, 3.71]) and receiving money for sex (PRR 2.26; 95% CI [1.17, 4.36]). In addition to violence in childhood and adolescence being risk factors for sexual violence in adulthood, we also observed that half of the sample experienced sexual violence repeatedly, characterizing sexual revictimization. It is important that health services are prepared to receive boys and men victims in order to reduce the chances of revictimization and other outcomes.

Índice de violencia en niños, niñas y adolescentes en el Perú en tiempos de pandemia

The present research sought to determine the rate of violence in children and adolescents in Peru in times of pandemic. A non-experimental, retrospective, descriptive, quantitative, non-experimental methodology was used for this research. The sample consisted of children and adolescents of both sexes at the national level, ranging in age from 0 to 17 years. Likewise, as a means of data collection, we used the gures provided by the Statistical Portal of the Aurora National Group of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations based on the cases attended by the Women's Emergency Centers implemented at the national level, however, However, during the mandatory social connement due to the pandemic, these centers did not operate, so that in 2020 data were obtained by the Itinerant Emergency Teams, while in 2021 and 2022 data were taken from the Women's Emergency Centers, through health centers, police stations, regular and 24x7. Likewise, the research concluded that psychological violence is the predominant type of violence and that the most affected age group is 12 to 17 years old, while, in relation to gender, women are the most affected by violence in times of pandemic

Exposure to local violent crime and childhood obesity and fitness: Evidence from New York City public school students.

This paper estimates the relationship between neighborhood violent crime and child and adolescent weight and fitness. It uses detailed data from the Fitnessgram assessments of public school students in New York City matched to point specific crime data geocoded to students' residential location. Our empirical approach compares the weight and fitness outcomes of students exposed to a violent crime on their residential H-block with those living in the same census tract but not exposed to violent crime in close proximity to their home. We find for adolescent girls, increases in BMI that range from 0.01 to 0.035 standard deviations and an increase in the probability of overweight of 0.5 to 1.7 percentage points. We find little evidence that BMI, obesity, and overweight change as a result of violent crime for adolescent boys, and younger children. Results are not explained by declines in physical fitness.

PSIKOEDUKASI PENDIDIKAN SEKS KEPADA GURU DAN SISWA SEBAGAI UPAYA PENCEGAHAN KEKERASAN SEKSUAL PADA SISWA SD

Community service on the socialization of sex education to teachers and students to improve understanding and skills related to sexual violence in children as an effort to prevent sexual violence against children. This service is also motivated by the results of cases of sexual abuse in children which are increasing every year so that prevention is needed through psychoeducation of sex in children. The method used in this service is mentoring and training which consists of three stages, namely preparation, implementation and monev. After this service program, the ability of teachers and students to demonstrate that sex education can increase teacher and student understanding of sexual violence.