Victims Of Child Abuse Research Articles

Hermeneutical Injustice and Child Victims of Abuse

ABSTRACT This article analyses how child victims of abuse may be subjected to hermeneutical injustice. I start by explaining how child victims are hermeneutically marginalised by adults’ social and epistemic authority, and the stigma around child abuse. In understanding their abuse, I highlight two epistemic obstacles child victims may face: (i) lack of access to concepts of child abuse, thereby causing victims not to know what abuse is; and (ii) myths of child abuse causing misunderstandings of abuse. When these epistemic obstacles cause the child victims to fail to see themselves as being abused and/or to get adults to recognise that they are being abused, I argue that this constitutes hermeneutical injustice. While some may justify obstructing epistemic access to concepts of abuse on the grounds of parental rights and protection of children’s innocence, I reply that both grounds are unjust in light of children’s basic rights and the fact that children can easily be taught such concepts in a child-appropriate manner. The case of child abuse prompts important reflections on existing epistemic injustice literature, particularly on the ways in which hermeneutical injustice materialises, the epistemic responsibilities of institutional bodies and individuals, and the interrelationship between testimonial and hermeneutical injustice.

Disparities in detection of suspected child abuse

BackgroundChild abuse is a significant cause of injury and death among children, but accurate identification is often challenging. This study aims to assess whether racial disparities exist in the identification of child abuse. MethodsThe 2010–2014 and 2016–2017 National Trauma Data Bank was queried for trauma patients ages 1–17. Using ICD-9CM and ICD-10CM codes, children with injuries consistent with child abuse were identified and analyzed by race. ResultsBetween 2010–2014 and 2016–2017, 798,353 patients were included in NTDB. Suspected child abuse victims (SCA) accounted for 7903 (1%) patients. Of these, 51% were White, 33% Black, 1% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian, and 12% other race. Black patients were disproportionately overrepresented, composing 12% of the US population, but 33% of SCA patients (p < 0.001). Although White SCA patients were more severely injured (ISS 16–24: 20% vs 16%, p < 0.01) and had higher in-hospital mortality (9% vs. 6%, p = 0.01), Black SCA patients were hospitalized longer (7.2 ± 31.4 vs. 6.2 ± 9.9 days, p < 0.01) despite controlling for ISS (1–15: 4. 5.7 ± 35.7 vs. 4.2 ± 6.2 days, p < 0.01). In multivariate regression, Black children continued to have longer lengths of stay despite controlling for ISS and insurance type. ConclusionsUtilizing a nationally representative dataset, Black children were disproportionately identified as potential victims of abuse. They were also subjected to longer hospitalizations, despite milder injuries. Further studies are needed to better understand the etiology of the observed trends and whether they reflect potential underlying unconscious or conscious biases of mandated reporters. Type of studyTreatment study. Level of evidenceIII.

The emerging role of health care forensics in medical education: ethical, legal and educational challenges in identifying and providing patient-centered care for victims of child abuse and human trafficking

The advents of child abuse and human trafficking in their various forms represent a serious crime and affects virtually every country in the world, where they not only represent an issue of the violation of the basic human rights and dignity of those persons affected but also impacts their families and loved ones who may be inadvertently left behind. While most instances of human trafficking have traditionally involved humans being coercively forced to enter into areas of sex and labor violations, the emerging area of illegal organ trafficking to support a growing need for organ transplantation procedures can now be included. While children and younger adults are the most commonly affected segments of the population for some categories of trafficking, globally human trafficking may impact victims of diverse backgrounds of any age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, or persuasion, and may present in the clinic accompanied or unaccompanied for urgent care. When presenting, a patient may exhibit cardinal signs, symptoms and clinical stigmata that may be of a suspicious nature and be indicative of further investigation to include reporting the issues to competent authorities especially when the victim is an infant or considered a minor, less than 18 years of age in most countries. Since the health care professional is often in a position to become the first point of contact where symptoms and stigmata of human trafficking, child abuse, and other signs indicative of abuse are apparent, additional modules in health care forensics would be a welcome addition to medical curricula and public health perspectives for physicians and other members of the healthcare team. Thus, the purpose of the present paper was to review the characteristics of human trafficking and abuse, to summarize key areas of legal, medical, and administrative responsibility in order to ensure availability of optimal and appropriate patient-centered care of victims, and to emphasize the need for inclusion of modules in forensic medical education in medical curricula.

Childhood Abuse, Goal-Striving Stress and Self-Esteem: An Explanatory Role for Perceptions of Divine Control?

Early life course events and experiences affect lifelong processes of human development, and at the forefront of life course research, is how negative conditions during childhood compromise adult well-being. In the current study, we propose that individuals who experience early life adversity may be more susceptible to the effect of stressors that are also very much rooted in the self-concept, namely goal-striving stress, the feeling of falling short of one's expectations. Using data from the 2014 Nashville Stress and Health Study from the United States (NSAHS), we examine this process and consider how elements of religiosity, particularly beliefs in God's causal influence in human life (divine control) explain why goal-striving stress takes a larger toll on the self-esteem of individuals who experienced childhood abuse. Our findings indicate that (1) childhood abuse was positively associated with goal-striving stress and inversely associated with self-esteem, (2) goal-striving stress was inversely associated with self-esteem, (3) goal-striving stress exacerbated the association between childhood abuse and lower self-esteem. Mediated-moderation analyses also revealed that (4) lower perceptions of divine control explain why goal-striving stress was more damaging for victims of childhood abuse. Taken together, this study contributes to a growing body of work on anticipatory stressors and linkages to the self-concept for victims of early life adversity, and how adversity early in the life course might undermine key religious resources like divine control that may otherwise mitigate the noxious effects of stress.

The Old Woman’s Farcical Rejuvenation in The Rejuvenation of Miss Semaphore (1897)

Charlotte O’Conor Eccles’s The Rejuvenation of Miss Semaphore (1897) is a comedic New Woman narrative in which a lonely, middle-aged, single woman gets rejuvenated after drinking an elixir. Miss Semaphore’s rejuvenation goes wrong, for she accidentally turns into an infant—not a beautiful woman in her twenties—and goes through babyfarming, which was a grave social problem in the Victorian era. At first glimpse, the text seems to make a farcical mockery of the old maid, but it also allows the aging female character to transgress Victorian gender and age norms. My goal is therefore to discuss how Eccles uses humour in letting her protagonist accidentally live backward and develop into a social activist, who testifies in court as a victim and witness of child abuse in the workhouse. Initially, the middle-class protagonist and her sister appear as old-fashioned Old Women at the beginning, but once the former unexpectedly turns into an infant, she indeed gets pushed out of a social safety net, as babyfarmers illegally adopt and abuse her. Eccles creates an ironic situation where the Old Women rejuvenate metaphorically into radical New Woman activists, who raise their own voice to fight against the given system of the world, in which unmarried women and their unwanted children are constantly marginalized. I claim that the comic rejuvenation enables the Old Woman characters to deviate from the normative women’s views and be reborn as New Women. The female rejuvenation plot bridges the gap between the New Woman and the Old Woman in a way that allows the formulation of New Woman ideals. The first part of my article will discuss Eccles’s and other New Woman writers’ critical essays on the female life course. The second part will scrutinize how Eccles’s comedic novel itself responds to the late Victorian female aging question. I ultimately argue that Eccles’s humorous New Woman narrative serves as a critique of social injustice that women and children were faced with in the late nineteenth century.

Discrepancies in youth self-report and case file report of maltreatment and association with internalizing and externalizing symptoms

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment is a potential risk factor for the later development of psychopathology (Jaffee, 2017). However, there is no gold standard for identifying victims of child maltreatment, and when multiple informants – such as case files and youth self-report – are used, these sources often disagree (Cooley & Jackson, 2022). ObjectiveThe current study aimed to explore discrepancies between youth self-report and case file report of maltreatment and examine how these discrepancies related to internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Participants/settingParticipants were 470 youth living in foster care between the ages of 8 and 18 and their caregivers. MethodsLatent class analysis (LCA) was used to create novel groups based on informant discrepancies. ResultsAgreement between informants was in the poor-to-fair agreement range for all types of maltreatment. Latent class analysis identified a 3-class solution with significant group differences on both externalizing (Χ2 (2, N = 470) = 6.16, p = 0.05) and internalizing symptoms (Χ2 (2, N = 470) = 6.10, p = 0.05). Specifically, those in the “self-report only” class had significantly higher symptoms than those in the “neither informant/case file only” class for both internalizing and externalizing behavior. ConclusionsCase files and youth self-report of maltreatment are discrepant. Youth self-report of maltreatment history may be more closely linked to psychopathology than case file report of maltreatment. Researchers and practitioners should look to youth self-report rather than relying solely on case files when determining risk for psychopathology.

Reporting child victims of abuse in the city of Yaoundé

Introduction: The need to report any suspicion of child abuse is imperative for the medical practitioner. The general objective of our study is to describe the types of reporting of child victims of abuse suffered by children in some referral hospitals in Yaoundé. Method: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019, i.e., 5 years, in 4 referral hospitals in Yaoundé. All records of victims of abuse under 18 years of age were included. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using Epi-info TM version 7.2 software. Ethical clearance was obtained to conduct our study. Results: Of the 132 victims in our study, the alleged perpetrator was known in 53.0% of cases (70/132). Reporting was done in 48.5% (64/132) of cases and was more frequent if the alleged perpetrator was known (40/70; 57.1%). The administrative reporting procedure predominated over the judicial one, 57.8% (37/64) and 42.2% (27/64) respectively. The arrest of the presumed perpetrator was done only in 23.4% (15/64) of cases, followed by a conviction in 46.7% of cases, i.e. a conviction rate of 5.3% (7/132). The return to the victim's family occurred nearly 8 times/10 (105/132; 79.5%). Conclusion: Reporting was done in less than half of the cases of child maltreatment resulting in a conviction in about 5 cases out of 100. Training and awareness of the practitioner remains a cornerstone in the fight against this scourge

Reporting child victims of abuse in the city of Yaoundé

Reporting child victims of abuse in the city of Yaoundé

Epidemiological Profile of Child Victims of Abuse: Case of the City of Yaoundé, Cameroon

Purpose: Better prevention of child abuse requires knowledge of risk factors and situations. The general objective of this study was to determine the relative frequency of child abuse in Yaoundé and to draw its epidemiological profile.&#x0D; Methodology: the researchers conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019, i.e., 5 years, in 4 referral hospitals in Yaoundé. All records of victims of abuse under the age of 18 years were included. The data collected were analyzed using Epi-info TM version 7.2 software. Ethical clearance was obtained to conduct our study.&#x0D; Findings: Of the 19,187 usable records, child abuse victims represented 0.68% (132). Most of the victims were female (121; 91.7%), under 11 years of age (106; 80.3%), middle siblings (46; 35.0%) and HIV infection was the most common medical history at 17.4% (23). The accompanying person for the first consultation was their mother (72/132; 54.5%). Four (3.0%) children had lost both parents. The main antecedent related to the legal guardian was HIV seropositivity, 70.2% (66/94).&#x0D; Conclusion: Child abuse, far from being negligible, concerned primarily girls under 11 years of age. HIV infection was a factor found in both the child victim and the legal guardian in our context.&#x0D; Recommendations: Pay particular attention to children outside marriage or living in a blended family. Encourage societal debates around the abuse suffered by children.

Ophthalmologists' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Willingness to Report Child Abuse.

The aim of the present study was to explore ophthalmologists' attitudes, knowledge, and willingness to report child abuse. One-hundred-and-seven ophthalmologists employed in various hospitals in Israel completed an online questionnaire. Less than half the ophthalmologists (44.9%) reported that they had treated children whom they identified or suspected as being victims of child abuse, while only 43.9% of these reported child abuse. Despite generally positive attitudes towards reporting of child abuse among the ophthalmologists, their average level of knowledge was low. Ophthalmologists who had received training on child abuse and residents displayed a higher level of knowledge. In addition, female ophthalmologists tended to agree more that ophthalmologists are obligated to screen for and report child abuse. Moreover, female ophthalmologists expressed higher willingness to report child abuse. The present study reveals that underreporting of child abuse, and more precisely the discrepancy between identification and reporting, is present among ophthalmologists. It seems that lack of knowledge regarding identification and reporting of child abuse is the main barrier to reporting, especially among medical specialists. These findings underscore the importance of training programs on child abuse, both during formal education in medical school, and post-qualification, for all ophthalmologists, irrespective of seniority.

Providers Assessing Child Abuse and Neglect

Providers Assessing Child Abuse and Neglect

Nationwide Management of Trauma in Child Abuse: Exploring the Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities.

Child abuse is a major cause of childhood injury, morbidity, and death. There is a paucity of data on the practice of abuse interventions among this vulnerable population. The aim of our study was to identify the factors associated with interventions for child abuse on a national scale. Retrospective analysis of 2017 to 2018 American College of Surgeons (ACS) Pediatric Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP). All children presenting with suspected/confirmed child abuse and an abuse report filed were included. Patients with missing information regarding abuse interventions were excluded. Outcomes were abuse investigations initiated among those with abuse reports, and change of caregiver at discharge among survivors with an investigation initiated. Multivariable regression analyses were performed. A total of 7774 child abuse victims with an abuse report were identified. The mean age was 5±5 years, 4221 (54%) patients were White, 2297 (30%) Black, 1543 (20%) Hispanic, and 5298 (68%) had government insurance. The most common mechanism was blunt (63%), followed by burns (10%) and penetrating (10%). The median Injury Severity Score was 5 (1-12). The most common form of abuse was physical (92%), followed by neglect (6%), sexual (3%), and psychological (0.1%). The most common perpetrator of abuse was a care provider/teacher (49.5%), followed by a member of the immediate family (30.5%), or a member of the extended/step/foster family (20.0%). Overall, 6377 (82%) abuse investigations were initiated for those with abuse reports. Of these, 1967 (33%) resulted in a change of caregiver. Black children were more likely to have abuse investigated, and Black and Hispanic children were more likely to experience change of caregiver after investigations, while privately insured children were less likely to experience both. Significant racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities exist in the nationwide management of child abuse. Further studies are strongly warranted to understand contributing factors and possible strategies to address them. Level III-therapeutic/care management.

Effects of Child Abuse on School Dropout Among Students in USA

School dropouts include leaving education before acquiring the minimum credential. The dropout is prompted by something that happens to the student outside of school, such as teen pregnancy, foster care placement and high school mobility. Hence, the study sought to examine the effects of child abuse on the school dropout rate among students in the USA. The study was literature-based, and the study's conclusions were based on the findings from the previous studies. The study found that child abuse affects the school dropout rate among students. Children who have been victims of physical violence are more likely to drop out of school before graduation than their counterparts. Students who drop out of school encounter more significant risks for problems associated with using nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and other illegal substances. The study found that abused and neglected children are at greater risk for low educational attainment. For sexually abused children, cognitive ability and memory levels and academic achievement are less than their peers. The study concluded that dropping out of school drastically restricts the opportunities for future success for many children. Dropping out of school seriously hinders most learners' future success opportunities. It strengthens and passes on the chain of poverty to future generations. Getting a better education is the baseline through which several young people can get themselves out of poverty. The study recommended that child abuse is the most common concern in the USA and needs to be addressed. A multidisciplinary strategy is recommended to review and treat child abuse victims appropriately. The government should conduct awareness campaigns to ensure that parents and students appreciate the significance of primary education. Keywords: Child Abuse, School Dropout, Students, USA

Perceptions of third and fourth year nursing students enrolled in a pediatric nursing course regarding the concept of child abuse: A metaphorical study

BackgroundChild abuse is an important public health problem as it negatively affects the child's development as well as the child's family and therefore society. Nurses are one of the most important members of the team caring for child abuse victims and are indispensable in terms of child and family education. ObjectivesThe research was carried out to determine the perceptions of third and fourth year nursing students, who took the Child Health and Diseases Nursing course, about child abuse through metaphor. DesignThe research was carried out with the metaphor analysis technique based on the phenomenological method. “Metaphor analysis” is a technique based on the phenomenological research method within the qualitative research methods. SettingsThe study was conducted at a state university in Turkey. ParticipantsWhile the population of the research consisted of nursing department students in a facility, the sample consisted of third and fourth year nursing students who took the Child Health and Diseases Nursing Course. In the study in which 186 nursing students volunteered to participate, the study was completed with 174 students, since the answers of 12 students did not contain metaphors. 174 students who took the course participated in the research. MethodsThe data were collected using the Student Information Form and the metaphor sentence “Child abuse is like … because…” questioning the perceptions of child abuse from June to August 2021. ResultsAt the time of the research, it was determined that all third and fourth year nursing students who took the Child Health and Diseases Nursing course in the institution had negative metaphors about “child abuse”. The harm caused by child abuse to the child and the future has often been compared to natural disasters and catastrophes. Metaphors produced for the perception of “Child Abuse”; it is grouped under a total of five categories: Disaster, Damage, Never Beginning, Never Been Like Before, and Hunting. ConclusionsChild abuse is a medical, pediatric and public health problem that must be reported. Nursing students' perceptions of the subject are very important, as it is among the duties, responsibilities and roles of nurses. The fact that child abuse is perceived by student nurses as the strong hurting the weak, the irreversible harm, or the fact that something good ends before it begins, reveals the importance of the situation. It clearly reflects the necessity of a course on child abuse in the nursing curriculum. Tweetable abstractIt is important to evaluate the perceptions of child abuse of nursing undergraduate students. @dilek_fatos.

APA Files Another Amicus Brief in Ongoing Texas Case on Banning Trans Care for Youth

APA Files Another Amicus Brief in Ongoing Texas Case on Banning Trans Care for Youth

Exploring the Effectiveness of Legislation Combating Digital Non-consensual Sexually Explicit Image Distribution

Non-consensual porn distribution is the dissemination of sexually explicit images and/or photos without the consent of the individual featured in them. The literature suggests that non-consensual porn distribution is frequent with victims who experience similar negative effects to that of intimate partner violence (IPV) victims. It was estimated in 2014 that at least 3,000 pornographic websites contained a ‘revenge’ porn category of images. Victims who did not consent to the dissemination of their digital sexually explicit images have reported similar experiences of those who have been victims of IPV. However the research suggests that the negative effects (e.g., emotional, psychological and physical experiences) on non-consensual porn distribution victims may be heightened because of the revictimization that occurs each time the victims’ images and/or information is repeatedly observed or shared online, which has been attributed to victims of child abuse who have maladaptive responses to their abuse. Research suggests current legislation has not assisted victims in combating and prosecuting the perpetrators who disseminate the victim’s digital porn without the victim’s consent. Additionally, US federal legislation, like Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act, arguably enables the digital distribution of victims’ non-consensual pornographic images and videos. Utilizing a content analysis, the current study analyses digital non-consensual porn distribution court cases in the USA, including Washington, DC, to assess the prevalence and effects of non-consensual porn distribution court cases. The review highlights the lack of diversity in the use of types of non-consensual porn distribution state statutes and the similarities between victims of IPV (e.g., rape) and non-consensual porn distribution prosecution that often leads to negative outcomes for victims.

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Intervention Programs for Child Abuse Victims in Korea: Focused on Depression, Anxiety, Self-esteem, Problem Behavior, and Sociability

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of intervention studies for child abuse victims in Korea focused on depression, anxiety, self-esteem, problem behavior, and sociability.Methods: Published articles on intervention programs for abused children were investigated using the systematic review method. A total of 24 studies up to August 2021 were included in the final analysis using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 2.2 program.Results: The differences in effects depending upon the year of publication, total sessions, group size, and time per session were statistically meaningful. The effect size of art therapy was found to be larger than that of traditional group therapy. The effect size of the overall interventions was 1.75, which was a high level in terms of Cohen’s criteria. Intervention programs showed significantly large effect sizes in sociability, problem behavior, and self-esteem. The effect of programs on anxiety and depression was not statistically meaningful.Conclusion: The results of this study are meaningful because they can be used as basic data for the development of intervention programs for abused children. Intervention programs for child abuse victims should continue to be developed and applied.

Incidence of child abuse with subdural hemorrhage during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide study in France.

The global COVID-19 pandemic prompted governments to impose unprecedented sanitary measures, such as social distancing, curfews, and lockdowns. In France and other countries, the first COVID-19 lockdown raised concerns about an increased risk of child abuse. Abusive head trauma (AHT) is one of the most serious forms of child abuse in children aged 0–24 months and constitutes the leading cause of death in children under 2 years of age. Subdural hemorrhage (SDH) is present in 89% of cases of AHT and constitutes one of the most specific, objective clinical presentations in the diagnosis of child abuse. In a French nationwide study, we sought to evaluate the potential impact of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of hospital admissions for child abuse with SDH, relative to the two previous years. We conducted a nationwide, retrospective study of data in the French national hospital discharge summary database by applying the International Classification of Diseases (10th Revision) codes for SDH and for child abuse. After including children aged up to 24 months with a diagnosis of child abuse and/or SDH following hospital admission anywhere in France between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020, we compared the incidence of child abuse, the incidence of SDH + child abuse, and the demographic data for 2020 with the corresponding values for 2018 and 2019. There were no significant differences in the number of hospital admissions due to child abuse or SDH + child abuse between 2020 and the 2018/2019 control years. The incidence of SDH + child abuse was higher among boys than among girls. There were significantly fewer hospital admissions in May 2020 (p = 0.01) and significantly more in December 2020 (p = 0.03), relative to the same months in the two preceding years. There was a nonsignificant trend toward a lower incidence of hospital admission for child abuse in 2020, relative to 2019 (decrease: 6.4%) and 2018 (decrease: 7.6%).Conclusion: When considering children under the age of 24 months in France, the incidence of hospital admission for SDH in the context of child abuse was not significantly higher in 2020 than in the two previous years.What is Known:• The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on child abuse and more specifically on subdural hemorrhage remains unknown.What is New:• There was no increase in hospitalizations for child abuse and AHT.• We found that boys are more often victims of child abuse and subdural hemorrhage among children aged less than 12 months.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-022-04387-x.

Child Maltreatment Prevention: Essentials for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Child maltreatment is a serious problem with the potential for lifelong physical and mental health consequences, even death. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2021), an estimated 656,000 American children were investigated by child protective services (CPS) and determined to be victims of child maltreatment in 2019, and for 1,840 children, maltreatment resulted in death. Approximately 61% of maltreated children suffered neglect, 10% physical abuse, 7% sexual abuse, and 6.1% emotional abuse, with more than 15% experiencing multiple forms of maltreatment (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2021).

Reproductive Abuse in the Context of Clergy Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church

In a significant number of cases, clerical sex offenders impregnate their victims and force them into hiding, abortion, or adoption. This phenomenon is referred to in this paper as reproductive abuse. Clearly, most victims of reproductive abuse are adults, but even among minor victims of clerical child abuse, between 1 and 10 percent may have experienced reproductive abuse. On the basis of pertinent studies, this paper explores archival material on several dozen allegations of reproductive abuse in the context of clergy sexual abuse of minors in the US Catholic Church. Besides some tentative estimates of the general frequency of the phenomenon, this paper offers a distinction of three different types of reproductive abuse and an analysis of the interplay of clericalist and secular misogyny, which appears to be largely responsible for the silencing of victims as well as for the impunity of perpetrators and leads to the invisibility of this phenomenon, despite the high importance attributed to reproductive issues in the Catholic context.