Reduce Child Maltreatment Research Articles

Facilitators, barriers, and enablers of social workers’ utilization of an evidence-based parenting program: An exploratory mixed-method study

Social workers play a vital role in both the child welfare systems and the dissemination of evidence-based parenting programs aimed at reducing child maltreatment rates at scale. However, notable knowledge gap remains on factors influencing social workers’ program delivery. Using the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program as an example, the present study aims to investigate the facilitators (what aided the implementation), barriers (what hindered the implementation), and enablers (what changes would help implementation) of social workers’ implementation of an evidence-based parenting program. An international sample of 301 social workers trained in Triple P between 2012 and 2020 from six countries were included (i.e., U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Denmark). A mixed-method approach was used which combined item-level regression analyses with quantitative and thematic analysis with qualitative data. Organizational/team/peer support and program resources were identified as strong themes in both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Engaging disadvantaged parents and online delivery were identified as a significant challenge for social workers in qualitative analysis. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing social workers’ implementation of parenting programs. Implications of the present findings were discussed.

Practices and Effects of Child Abuse on Learner’s Academic Performance in Primary Schools

This study investigated the practices and effects of child abuse on learners’ academic performance in selected primary schools in Budaya Sub-county. The study concluded that parents ranked highest in promoting child abuse. They subject their children to both physical and psychological abuse, which consequently affects their performance at home and school. In addition, the study revealed that physically and emotionally, the abused child becomes aggressive towards fellow pupils and elders and suffers stunted physical and mental development. According to the findings, the study calls for social welfare agencies (public and private organizations) to redouble efforts in educating, counseling, and rehabilitating victims of child abuse. These efforts could encourage many victims of child abuse to continue their education or engage in other meaningful activities. Furthermore, the knowledge of both teachers and other school personnel, along with representatives from health care services, social services, and law enforcement, regarding child abuse is severely limited. Therefore, the government should educate all stakeholders about ways to reduce child abuse. Finally, the government should make and enforce strong laws to isolate the abuser from the victim, impose harsh sentences, and provide treatment services to the sexually offended victims. Keywords: Academic performance, Child abuse, Culture, Primary school, Students

Preventing Child Maltreatment: Beneficial Side Effects of Public Childcare

Abstract We investigate the impact of public childcare provision on the incidence of severe child maltreatment. For identification, we exploit a reform that expanded early childcare in Germany, generating large temporal and spatial variation in childcare coverage at the county level. Using high-quality administrative data covering all reported cases of child maltreatment in Germany by county and year, we find that an increase in childcare slots by one percentage point in a county reduced child maltreatment cases leading to out-of-home placement by about 1%. Our results suggest that the provision of universal public childcare may be more cost effective than previously thought.

Interventions to Reduce Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review with a Narrative Synthesis

Child maltreatment has been a prominent topic on the political agenda for the past decade. However, while there are several types of interventions that can potentially benefit the prevention of child maltreatment, uncertainties remain regarding the transferability of these interventions to different contexts and their overall impact. Consequently, we conducted a systematic review of intervention studies aimed at preventing child maltreatment. We searched for studies published between 2016 and 2021, using predefined keywords from various bibliographical databases including PsycINFO, SocINDEX, Social Care Online, Web of Science, and ASSIA. The initial literature search yielded 3221 studies based on titles and abstracts, after removing duplicates. Out of these, 251 studies were screened based on full texts, resulting in the selection of 56 studies that met our inclusion criteria and were retained for extraction and analysis. The screening and data extraction processes were conducted by at least two independent reviewers. Given the heterogeneity of the included studies, we performed a narrative synthesis and categorized the 56 studies based on intervention type, control condition, outcomes, effects and quality. The results indicated that most of the studies employed individual randomization, with the control group most often receiving treatment as usual. Home visiting programs and educational interventions emerged as the most prevalent types of interventions. The review also demonstrated that a significant number of the included studies reported positive effects on one or more outcomes, such as indicators of maltreatment, suboptimal parenting practices, and problematic child behaviors. While nearly one-third of the studies did not report an effect size, those that did reported varying types of effect sizes. Additionally, only a few studies met the assessed quality criteria.

‘We aren’t valued for who we are’: Australian nurses’ and midwives’ perceptions of challenges and barriers to safeguarding children

PurposeProfessionals working with children, including nurses and midwives, are foundational to effectively safeguarding children from maltreatment. However, little is known about the full nature and scope of nurses' and midwives' roles in safeguarding children in Australia presenting barriers to effective workforce preparation and support. Design and methodsThis study reports an inductive analysis of qualitative responses (n = 51 Round 1, n = 17 Round 2) from a two-round Delphi study. The Delphi study aimed to build consensus on the nature and scope of nursing and midwifery practice in safeguarding children, and this manuscript presents findings of an inductive analysis of qualitative responses beyond the scope of the Delphi study. Participants were Australian nurses and midwives (n = 51, n = 17) from diverse child-focussed settings. ResultsNurses and midwives experienced many factors outside of their control that restricted their capacity to safeguard children. Influences included high workloads, burnout, lack of support, poor collaboration, structural barriers and inaccessible services for children. ConclusionsNurses and midwives are advocates for children but experienced many factors preventing them from effectively safeguarding children. Future approaches to reducing child maltreatment must be underpinned by support for frontline professionals to promote workforce capacity and sustainability. Practice implicationsDespite nurses' and midwives' best intentions, their attempts to prevent and respond to child maltreatment were hampered by systemic factors beyond their control. This study highlighted the need to address broader influences on nursing and midwifery practice to reduce the impacts of child maltreatment and support children to thrive.

Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care (PriCARE) theory of change: A promising intervention to reduce child maltreatment

Child maltreatment (CM) is a pervasive public health problem and there is a critical need for brief, effective, scalable prevention programs. Because problematic parent-child relationships lie at the core of CM, interventions targeting this relationship hold promise as CM prevention strategies. Evidence-based positive parenting interventions, as discussed here, are manualized behavioral interventions that focus on teaching caregivers positive parenting skills and techniques to improve the effectiveness of their parenting and improve their relationship with their child. In this article, we describe one specific parenting intervention, Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care (PriCARE)/Criando Niños con CARIÑO, and review the proposed mechanisms through which PriCARE may contribute to CM prevention. PriCARE is a 6-session group parenting intervention for parents of 2-to-6-year-old children. PriCARE was developed and iteratively adapted with input from racially and ethnically diverse families, including low-income families, and was designed specifically for implementation in primary care with inclusion of strategies to align with usual care workflow to increase uptake and retention. PriCARE has the potential to reduce risk of CM directly through improving parenting behaviors and indirectly through the impact of those changes in parenting behaviors on child behaviors. PriCARE has also been shown to reduce parenting-related stress. Finally, by strengthening and bringing warmth to the parent-child relationship, PriCARE may buffer against the negative health consequences associated with CM and childhood adversity.

Advanced child tax credit payments and national child abuse hotline contacts, 2019–2022

BackgroundChildren in households experiencing poverty are disproportionately exposed to maltreatment. Income support policies have been associated with reductions in child abuse and neglect. The advance child tax credit (CTC) payments...

A Parenting Program to Prevent Child Maltreatment in China: A Pretest–Posttest-Follow-Up Study

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of adapted Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children to prevent child maltreatment in the Mainland China. Methods: A pre–post-follow-up study was designed and 54 Chinese parents received the eight-session online parenting intervention between February 4 and March 25, 2023. Results: Forty-one participants (75.9%) completed post-assessment and 36 (66.7%) completed 3-month follow-up assessment. Participants reported reduced child maltreatment, especially in emotional abuse and corporal punishment after the intervention, and the effect was maintained in 3-month follow-up. Improved positive parenting behaviors and decreased child externalizing behaviors were also observed for pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up assessments. However, there were no significant changes in parental stress, parent–child relationship, parental depressive symptoms, and social support. Conclusions: The online Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children program for Chinese parents has shown promise in reducing child maltreatment, improving positive parenting, and decreasing children's problem behaviors, although randomized controlled trials are needed in future studies.

Family Partner: study protocol for a pilot randomised study of a home-visitation intervention in Norway.

Every year, about 5% of children in Norway experience severe child maltreatment and need support from the child welfare services. However, research-supported interventions for this group are lacking. The current study piloted an intensive home-visitation intervention, Family Partner, which aims to reduce child maltreatment among at-risk parents by improving parental skills, agency and trust in the welfare services, and children's well-being. The randomised controlled trial piloted in this study examines the acceptability of the Family Partner intervention for staff and families and evaluates its feasibility for a full-scale randomised controlled trial. This protocol outlines a prospective, parallel, pilot randomised trial of the Family Partner intervention in three Norwegian municipal child welfare services. The participants are families with children under 12 years of age, where the parents are identified as having challenges. Families in the treatment group receive the Family Partner intervention, while families in the control group receive ordinary child welfare services. Data are collected at baseline, and at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months after recruitment. The pilot study monitor retention and adherence to inform the feasibility of a future full-scale randomised study. To assess the acceptability of the trial and intervention, a subsample of the participating families, as well as the family partners and representatives of the child welfare services in each municipality, are invited to complete qualitative interviews. The results will guide the design of a fully powered randomised controlled trial of the Family Partner intervention compared with ordinary child welfare services. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04957394; Pilot Trial of Family Partner: a Child Maltreatment Prevention Intervention (FAMPART); registered on 12 July 2021.

Has the relationship between community poverty and child maltreatment report rates become stronger or weaker over time?

BackgroundPoverty is among the most powerful predictors of child maltreatment risk and reporting. To date, however, there have been no studies assessing the stability of this relationship over time. ObjectiveTo examine whether the county-level relationship between child poverty rates and child maltreatment report (CMR) rates changed over time in the United States in 2009–2018, overall and across of child age, sex, race/ethnicity, and maltreatment type. Participants and settingU.S. Counties in 2009–2018. MethodsLinear multilevel models estimated this relationship and its longitudinal change, while controlling for potential confounding variables. ResultsWe found that the county-level relationship between child poverty rates and CMR rates had intensified almost linearly from 2009 to 2018. Per one-percentage-point increase in child poverty rates, CMR rates significantly increased by 1.26 per 1000 children in 2009 and by 1.74 per 1000 children in 2018, indicating an almost 40 % increase in the poverty-CMR relationship. This increasing trend was also found within all subgroups of child age and sex. This trend was found among White and Black children, but not among Latino children. This trend was strong among neglect reports, weaker among physical abuse reports, and not found among sexual abuse reports. ConclusionsOur findings highlight the continued, perhaps increasing importance of poverty as a predictor of CMR. To the degree that our findings can be replicated, they could be interpreted as supporting an increased emphasis on reducing child maltreatment incidents and reports through poverty amelioration efforts and the provision of material family supports.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Parenting for Lifelong Health Program in Mainland China

Purpose: Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) is a program to prevent child maltreatment. This study aimed to examine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of the adapted program for Chinese parents. Methods: A pre–post single-arm pilot trial was conducted with 21 Chinese parents. A mixed-method design was utilized to collect questionnaire-based quantitative data and qualitative data of interviews and focus group discussions. Results: Program implementation was feasible, with overall high recruitment, enrollment, attendance, acceptability and fidelity. Quantitative results demonstrated reductions in general child maltreatment, physical and emotional abuse, child behavioral problems, and improvements in positive parenting. Thematic analyses identified reduced violent discipline, psychological aggression, and child behavioral problems, strengthened parent–child bonds, increased parenting confidence, and decreased family conflict. Conclusion: The adapted PLH-YC program for Chinese parents has shown good feasibility and acceptability, and exhibited a significant association with reduced child maltreatment. Further randomized controlled trials are required.

Pre-post Mixed Methods Study of a Parent and Teen Support Intervention to Prevent Violence Against Adolescents in the Philippines

PurposeThis study examines the feasibility of a culturally adapted parenting intervention (MaPa Teens) within the national cash transfer system to reduce violence against adolescents, the first such program in the Philippines. MethodsThirty caregiver-adolescent dyads who were beneficiaries of a government conditional cash transfer program participated in a pilot of a locally adapted version of the Parenting for Lifelong Health for Parents and Teens program. Primary outcomes of reducing child maltreatment and associated risk factors were evaluated using a single-group, pre-post design. Focus group discussions explored the perceptions of participants and facilitators regarding program acceptability and feasibility. ResultsSignificant and moderate reductions were reported in overall child maltreatment and physical abuse (caregiver and adolescent reports) and in emotional abuse (adolescent report). There were significant reductions in neglect, attitudes supporting punishment, parenting stress, parental and adolescent depressive symptoms, parent-child relationship problems, and significant improvement in parental efficacy in managing child behavior. Adolescents reported reduced behavior problems, risk behavior, and witnessing of family violence. Participants valued learning skills using a collaborative approach, sustained their engagement between sessions through text messages and phone calls, and appreciated the close interaction with caring and skilled facilitators. Program areas of improvement included addressing barriers to attendance, increasing adolescent engagement, and revising the sexual health module. DiscussionThe study provides preliminary support for the effectiveness and feasibility of the program in reducing violence against Filipino adolescents. Findings suggest potential adaptations of the program, and that investment in more rigorous testing using a randomized controlled trial would be worthwhile.

Site-Level Evidence-Based Practice Accreditation: A Qualitative Exploration Using Institutional Theory

ABSTRACT Accreditation is gaining ground in human services as leaders find ways to demonstrate the quality and legitimacy of services. This study examined site-level accreditation for SafeCare®, an evidence-based practice designed to prevent and reduce child maltreatment. We leveraged two waves of qualitative data to explore the perspectives of trainers, organizational and system leaders, and program developers who participated in an initial rollout of a site-level accreditation process for SafeCare. Institutional theory was used to frame accreditation’s potential benefits, burden, and impact. Findings highlight specific considerations for the human service environment, including the inherent resource scarcity, interdependence among organizations, and the impact of cost and slow-moving bureaucratic processes.

A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action.

A new era in child maltreatment prevention: call to action.

Relationships reduce risks for child maltreatment: Results of an experimental trial of Infant Mental Health Home Visiting.

Research examining the effectiveness of home visiting programs that reduce child maltreatment or associated risks yield mixed findings; some find positive significant impacts on maltreatment, whereas others find small to no effects. The Michigan Model of Infant Mental Health Home Visiting (IMH-HV) is a manualized, needs-driven, relationship-focused, home-based intervention service that significantly impacts maternal and child outcomes; the effect of this intervention on child maltreatment has not been sufficiently evaluated. The current study examined associations between treatment and dosage of IMH-HV and child abuse potential in a longitudinal, randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants included 66 mother-infant dyads (Mother M age = 31.93 years at baseline; child M age = 11.22 months at baseline) who received up to 1 year of IMH-HV treatment (Mdn = 32 visits) or no IMH-HV treatment during the study period. Mothers completed a battery of assessments including the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (BCAP) at baseline and at the 12-month follow-up assessment. Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for baseline BCAP scores, those who received any IMH-HV treatment had lower 12-month BCAP scores compared to those who received no treatment. Additionally, participation in more visits was associated with lower child abuse potential at 12 months, and a reduced likelihood of scoring in the risk range. Findings suggest that greater participation in IMH-HV is associated with decreased risk for child maltreatment 1 year after initiating treatment. IMH-HV promotes parent-clinician therapeutic alliance and provides infant-parent psychotherapy which differentiate it from traditional home visiting programs.

Understanding Social Disorganization and the Nonprofit Infrastructure: An Ecological Study of Child Maltreatment Rates

Advocates and researchers have emphasized the role of disorder in neighborhood processes, with serious consequences for families, however, neighborhood structures may also support families and reduce child maltreatment. Nonprofits maintain a range of strategies to support nearby families, including direct services, facilitation of social networks, and formalizing advocacy for increased attention from government. Using agency data on child maltreatment, nonprofit locations, and indicators of social disorganization, this article studies the role of nonprofit organizations in the spatial distribution of child maltreatment among Cuyahoga County Ohio census tracts ( N = 442). Accounting for spatially structured and tract-specific variation with a hierarchical Poisson model implemented through a Bayesian methodology, the results indicate the presence of nonprofits is a protective factor: negatively associated with child maltreatment (posterior mean: −0.18, CI: −0.34, −0.03), with heterogeneity by type. The study highlights neighborhoods as a propitious site of intervention and emphasizes the intra-county distribution of nonprofits.

Protective Community Norms and Mental Health Risks for Severe Physical Abuse: Lessons From a Nationally Representative Study of Ghana.

Although it has become axiomatic to quote an African proverb in discussions of child well-being, attempts to draw concrete and positive lessons from how African communities respond to and mitigate child maltreatment are comparatively few. This study tested the hypothesis that the collective value of Abiriwatia in Ghana, which supports legitimate norms of community obligations to care for children, could be protective against physical abuse. It also examined the claim that knowledge of the familial situation of community members, generated through Abiriwatia, may help them to act to mitigate the risk of caregiver's borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. We obtained a nationally representative sample of 1,100 female caregivers from 22 Ghanaian settlements and tested the hypotheses using multilevel models. Controlling for community-level physical abuse, living in a community with high levels of Abiriwatia childcare and community authority values is associated with lower levels of very severe physical abuse, and Abiriwatia childcare may mitigate risk from the caregiver's BPD features. Within Ghana, encouraging positive and protective aspects of traditional Ghanaian values and working to reinstate respect for these values may have positive outcomes for children. Interventions to reduce child maltreatment should be developed with reference to Abiriwatia childcare values.

“Before I was like a Tarzan. But now, I take a pause”: mixed methods feasibility study of the Naungan Kasih parenting program to prevent violence against children in Malaysia

BackgroundDespite impressive strides in health, social protection, and education, children continue to experience high rates of child maltreatment in Malaysia. This mixed-methods study assessed the feasibility of a five-session, social learning-based parenting program delivered by government staff in a community setting to reduce violence against children.MethodsParents of children from birth to 17 years were recruited from two communities near Kuala Lumpur to participate in the government-run program called the Naungan Kasih Positive Parenting Program (“Protecting through Love” in Bahasa Melayu). Quantitative data from female caregivers (N = 74) and children ages 10–17 (N = 26) were collected along with qualitative interviews and focus groups with parents, children, and facilitators. The primary outcome was child maltreatment with secondary outcomes including neglect, positive parenting, acceptability of corporal punishment, harsh parenting, positive discipline, and child behavior problems. Multilevel Poisson regression and multilevel linear regression were conducted to compare baseline and post-test outcomes. Qualitative interviews and focus groups examined how participants experienced the program utilizing a thematic analysis approach.ResultsQuantitative analyses found pre-post reductions in overall child maltreatment, physical abuse, emotional abuse, attitudes supporting corporal punishment, parent sense of inefficacy, and child behavior problems. There were no reported changes on positive and harsh parenting, parental mental health, and marital satisfaction, nor were there any other significant changes reported by children. Qualitative findings suggested that the program had tangible benefits for female caregivers involved in the program, with the benefits extending to their family members.ConclusionsThis feasibility study is one of the few studies in Southeast Asia that examined the feasibility and initial program impact of a parenting program delivered by government staff to families with children across the developmental spectrum from birth to 17 years. Promising results suggest that the program may reduce child maltreatment across a range of child ages. Findings also indicate areas for program improvement prior to further delivery and testing, including additional training and content on sexual and reproductive health, parenting children with disabilities, and online child protection.

Paid Family Leave: An Upstream Intervention to Prevent Family Violence.

Family violence imposes tremendous costs on victims and society. Rarely are policies focused on the primary prevention of family violence. Given the prevalence of family violence-including child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV)-during the perinatal period, policies targeting this vulnerable time period may be successful in primary prevention. Paid family leave (PFL) programs provide income-replacement during particularly stressful family events, such as the birth of a child. In this commentary, we describe the conceptual links between PFL, child maltreatment, and IPV, suggesting that PFL may be a promising strategy for the primary prevention of child maltreatment and IPV. There is emerging evidence that policies targeting the early years of life may reduce child maltreatment and IPV. Addressing the concrete and economic challenges faced by caregivers is one promising strategy for the prevention of family violence.

Psychosocial Resources Predicting Maternal and Paternal Positive Parenting and Lower Child Abuse Risk.

Young children have the highest victimization rates of physical abuse in their first year of life, making up nearly half of all child abuse-related fatalities. More effective prevention is needed to reduce child victimization, yet many risk reduction models rely on problematic inclusion criteria, only intervene after maltreatment has occurred, or focus only on mothers. More proactive prevention models that promote positive parenting practices early in the transition to parenthood could be key to reducing child maltreatment. The current study sought to assess how both mothers' and fathers' psychosocial resources (e.g., emotion regulation, coping, and social support) and empathy can predict positive parenting and predict lower child abuse risk across time in a cross-lagged model. Parenting and abuse risk were examined prenatally, through the transition into parenthood, until children were 4years old. First time mothers and their partners were recruited in the third trimester of pregnancy and assessed again when children were 6months, 18months, and 4years old. Separate path models for mothers and fathers analyzed whether psychosocial resources and empathy at earlier timepoints predicted their positive parenting and lower abuse risk by the time children were age 4. Findings demonstrated that mothers' earlier empathy predicted later positive parenting and earlier positive parenting predicted later empathy. Fathers' lower prenatal abuse risk predicted greater subsequent empathy. Both mothers' and fathers' psychosocial resources and empathy at earlier timepoints predicted later positive parenting. Parents' psychosocial resources can be integral assets in positive, effective parenting approaches both concurrently and longitudinally. Mothers' and fathers' resources are an important point of intervention prior to and during the transition into parenthood to support healthier families that would confer benefits to child functioning.