COVID-19 and Caregiver Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment: The Pandemic in Review

Jamani B. Garner, Shannon Self-Brown, Vanessa Emery, Kit Wootten, Ashwini Tiwari

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has fostered an environment for increased risk of child maltreatment (CM) as families experience increased psychosocial and financial burdens and spend unprecedented amounts of time together in the home. This narrative review aimed to summarize empirical findings on existing or new pandemic-related risk factors among caregivers. A combination of search terms related to CM and COVID-19 were used to identify articles published within five databases between February 2020 and July 2022. Literature searches produced 113 articles, of which 26 published across 12 countries met inclusion criteria. Four previously well-established risk factors for CM perpetration continued to persist during the pandemic, including stress, parental mental health, financial concerns, and parental substance use. Of note, inconsistent definitions and measures were used to capture these risk factors. Several additional emerging and understudied risk factors were also identified among limited articles, such as food insecurity and parental education. Findings emphasize the ongoing need for evidence-based interventions to address CM risk during the pandemic, including parent training programs. However, consolidated measures and consistent conceptualization of risk factors are needed to advance the study of CM. Going forward, practitioners and researchers should (a) strengthen the identification process for families at greatest risk for CM, and particularly those vulnerable to pandemic-related stressors; and (b) augment delivery of CM prevention strategies and evidence-based programs to fit the pandemic context.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)613-629
Number of pages17
JournalTrauma, Violence, and Abuse
Volume25
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2024

Keywords

  • anything related to child abuse
  • anything related to child abuse
  • child abuse
  • child abuse
  • child abuse
  • children exposed to domestic violence
  • cultural contexts
  • domestic violence
  • youth violence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Applied Psychology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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