A newborn baby is vulnerable to abuse and neglect, and the professional role may involve assessment before the baby is born. The aim of this paper is to explore the perspectives and experiences of midwives and child protection social workers regarding the protection of unborn babies within Northern Ireland. Data were gathered using four focus groups (14 midwives and 16 child protection social workers)

No abstract is available for this article.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) – as pointed out by Paediatric Research Across the Midlands (PRAM) (2021) in the first paper for this themed issue on sexual abuse and exploitation – is common, under‐reported and often co‐exists with other forms of maltreatment. These features form a backdrop to several of the original papers included in the issue. ‘Child sexual abuse … is common, under‐reported and often

Evidence exists for the concomitant presence of sexual abuse with other forms of maltreatment; however, this audit study suggests that questions that could arouse the suspicion of CSA are not being asked consistently. It is important for healthcare professionals to specifically consider sexual abuse when seeing children who present for Child Protection Medical Assessments.

The Brook Traffic Light Tool intends to support professionals in responding to developmentally inappropriate behaviours in children and young people. This is important as the number of reported harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people is rising. This study is a realistic evaluation of Brook Traffic Light Tool training implemented across a southern locality, using the Kirkpatrick model

Research on commercial sexual exploitation (COMSE) of youth tends to focus on young females as victims, and much less is known about male and transgender commercially sexually exploited youth (COMSEY). Understanding the psychosocial background and past COMSE experiences among COMSEY is important to provide support for gender‐specific or gender‐inclusive interventions for COMSEY. The study included

It is well known that individuals with experience of child welfare interventions – here conceptualised as placement in out‐of‐home care (OHC) – tend to have substantially poorer educational outcomes compared to their peers. Numerous explanatory factors have been proposed but few have been informed by mainstream sociological research into educational stratification. Through the lens of primary (ability‐driven

Key Practitioner Messages Young people at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE) value peer mentoring and will respond to services that they regard as authentic, consistent and tailored to their needs. Practitioners should always endeavour to prioritise the voices of young people - they are articulate about CSE. Arts‐based projects should be given fuller consideration as a potentially effective vehicle

In a large community health organisation, following high‐profile cases of non‐recent (historical) child sexual abuse, there was an increase in such disclosures and in uncertainties voiced by clinicians, both medical and non‐medical, about the most appropriate response to them. Practitioners within the safeguarding children team realised that there was little clear practice guidance available on this

In this paper, we report findings from a qualitative, multidisciplinary analysis of 20 Child Practice Reviews (CPRs) (previously Serious Case Review) in Wales. The reviews were analysed from three different disciplinary perspectives: law, criminology and practice (social work). The following cross‐cutting themes were identified from our coding of the reviews: (i) hierarchy of knowledge, where certain

The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify peer‐reviewed publications on the use and/or evaluation of child protection or domestic violence alerts in electronic medical records. A systematic literature search yielded 751 results, with four articles retained for review. Two articles related to the Child Protection – Information Sharing electronic medical record alert system in England

Early help or early intervention is increasingly recommended for safeguarding children living with domestic violence, but little is known about what is effective. This article discusses findings from an evaluation of a pioneering early help service in North West England. This new service aimed to improve the safety and wellbeing of families (mothers and children) who were assessed as below the level

No abstract is available for this article.

As the COVID‐19 lockdown regulations continue to be implemented differently across the four UK administrations, professionals working with children and families have continued to adapt their service delivery mechanisms and ways of working. In the child protection arena, the priority to keep children safe and prevent child harm has meant that frontline professionals have had to be creative in their

The challenges associated with determining causes of fatal child maltreatment have been documented by multiple professional fields and by the US government. This study explored these challenges, as well as the relative lethality of determinations of general neglect, medical neglect and physical abuse. Existing sources of information were used for this study: (1) data from the US National Child Abuse

Burns are common causes of paediatric emergency care attendance; approximately ten per cent result from maltreatment. Following emergency department (ED) attendance with a burn by 232 under five‐year‐olds, 11 risk factors for maltreatment were collected via health visitor (HV) telephone surveys. Three of these risk factors (domestic violence, social care involvement and developmental impairment) were

‘The views of representatives from… Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) in England were sought on the challenges to safeguarding children from FII’

Key Practitioner Messages The definition of child sexual abuse (CSA) is highly variable in the literature. This is problematic as these differing definitions affect research results, which in turn inform practice. A survey was conducted to ascertain survivors' definitions of CSA using both open‐ and closed‐ended questions. The findings can be used to inform discussions of the CSA definition used by

My Role In April 2019, I began my role in the Effective Child Protection Project as a practice mentor to social workers across the Children and Families Service in Gwynedd. This report considers my reflections on how communication has been affected in social work due to the pandemic. My role involves offering individual and group support, and reflective opportunities to social workers. Initially, I

Key Practitioner Messages Legal measures such as class action lawsuits and consent decrees may be effective in reducing child welfare workers' caseloads as part of systematic change. Schools of social work should expose their generalist and clinical track students to macro courses that address the role of such legal measures. Policy planning related to child welfare reform should involve frontline

No abstract is available for this article.

One of the gifts of the strange circumstances of 2020 has been an increased awareness of just how much we are a global society. Whether it is the COVID‐19 pandemic, the increasing impacts of the climate crisis, or the realities of racial inequalities and prejudices in our society and culture, we recognise that we are all affected. There must be few, if any, countries where the impact of coronavirus

In preparation for a survey using two international child abuse screening tools (ICAST‐P for parents and ICAST‐R for young people), a qualitative study explored the use of discipline and the understanding of child abuse, including sexual abuse, in Palestinian West Bank society, and investigated the appropriateness, in relation to clarity, acceptability and relevance, of the instruments. Qualitative

This paper presents the findings of a research study aimed at assessing the reliability and validity of an Arabic version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The research was carried out among a population of women attending antenatal care clinics (N = 309) and reports on the prevalence of high scores and assessment of reliability and validity of the Arabic

Para social workers (PSWs) are widely used in African nations to address inadequate capacity in the professional workforce, but there is to date very little academic commentary on the effectiveness of their role. This article considers the potential efficacy of the PSW model in strengthening child protection at community level in Uganda. Twenty interviews were conducted with local government officers

Recognising the signs and finding solutions to the risk and needs of neglected children remains a challenge in child protection practice despite a global increase in the number of reported child neglect cases. This situation is compounded by the impact of cultural practices on how neglect is perceived. Drawing on semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with 31 kinship caregivers, this study sought to explore

No abstract is available for this article.

Working as a paediatrician over the last few months has been unlike any other time in my career. The restrictions and changes for children, young people and their families have been enormous. My colleagues and I have felt anxious about the risk to children and young people while schools are closed, services are reconfigured and families are ‘locked down’ at home. As a paediatrician with a special interest

This study aimed to examine the effects of different types of maltreatment on psychiatric outcomes. The second aim was to examine patterns of comorbidity among different types of child maltreatment. Participants were randomly selected from the total birth cohort of all children born in Denmark in 1984. Data were then linked to information drawn from the Danish health and social registries. Four distinct

There is a growing need for non‐specialists, including school staff, to have practical understanding of mental wellbeing outcome measures. The introduction of the new relationships and health curriculum in England (Department for Education, 2019) places statutory responsibility on state‐funded schools to support pupils' mental wellbeing; however, evidence suggests many staff feel ill‐equipped to manage

It takes a deep breath to embark on MindEd e‐learning as it can be time‐consuming and not always straightforward to navigate. Having said that, one does get used to the site the more one uses it. It took me just under an hour to undertake Suicide and Self‐Harm Prevention, Skills for Schools and it was well worth doing so. One in eight children and young people aged between five and 19 surveyed in England

Key Practitioner Messages The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in negative consequences for children exposed to violence and abuse. Domestic violence refuge staff were greatly concerned about children both living outside and inside refuges. Domestic violence refuges have played a pivotal role during the COVID‐19 pandemic and should receive wider acknowledgement and greater support for their work.

Anti‐poverty policies and income maintenance programmes aim to reduce poverty and income inequality, yet rates of poverty and income inequality have remained stable or increased in 20 of 29 developed nations. Although poverty and income inequality have increased in the USA, the depth and reach of income maintenance programmes have eroded, placing undue strain on other societal systems like education

As in most low‐income countries, there is a lack of scientific information on the incidence and pattern of child maltreatment (CM) in Bangladesh. However, the role of the media to disclose CM and to develop public awareness in society is noteworthy. The present study assessed newspaper reports about CM by type and socio‐demographics of victims and perpetrators in Bangladesh. In total, 790 news articles

Public inquiries have become a standard governmental response to managing matters of public interest and concern, including child abuse, in a number of countries, but questions have been raised over whether they are worth the time, money and resources. This paper examines experts' perceptions of the aims and outcomes of public inquiries, before moving on to consider whether there are more effective

No abstract is available for this article.

This article presents a study space analysis of 44 published research studies examining the use of multiple interviews with child victims/witnesses. Study space analysis is a method of detecting gaps in the existing literature and thus determining whether ecologically valid situations that arise in practice have actually been addressed and studied. The use of this methodology is particularly useful

To our knowledge, there are no recent national epidemiological studies in France on abusive head trauma (AHT). The objective of this study was to quantify cases of AHT as a result of child abuse admitted to French hospitals, based on the French hospital discharge database (PMSI) from 2015 to 2017. Among infants aged between one and 11 months who were hospitalised for subdural haematoma or traumatic

In order to illustrate the medical and financial impact arising from the care of a severely injured victim of abusive head trauma (AHT) from incident through to adulthood, a complete review of all medical financial files for the injured child beginning at the time custody of the child was transferred to the paternal grandparents (2.5 months of age) through to age 17 was conducted. Cost data were extracted

Although confessions related to abusive head trauma (AHT) are reported, no detailed analysis exists. Therefore, we systematically reviewed studies of AHT confessions and examined the details, including country of origin, mechanisms and perpetrators' characteristics. Employing 36 search terms across three search engines, we searched Medline and CINAHL from 1963 to 2018. All relevant studies underwent

This study describes the frequency of signs and symptoms of abuse and missed diagnoses prior to the diagnosis of abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants. Data were from a retrospective observational study of 100 consecutive cases of infants diagnosed with AHT over a seven‐year period. The most frequent symptom leading to the diagnosis was a loss of consciousness (68%) that always occurred inside a home

Diagnosis of abusive head trauma (AHT) is challenging; clinical signs are non‐specific and perpetrator confessions are rare. Moreover, many infants sustain multiple episodes of abuse before presenting to medical practitioners. The objective of this study was to quantify the incidence of prior presentations with features of brain injury in AHT, and to compare these figures to those in non‐abusive head

Abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants is thought to be triggered by caregiver frustration with persistent crying. The Period of PURPLE Crying (POPC) is designed to educate parents about normal infant crying, strategies to use when infants cry and the dangers of shaking in an effort to decrease AHT. Studies evaluating the POPC have measured changes in parent knowledge and behaviour regarding infant crying

Previous studies of abusive head trauma (AHT) suggest that incidence may vary by geographic location, and there is limited information regarding population‐based risk factors for this form of child maltreatment. This study provides new knowledge regarding these two aspects using the population of the US State of Washington born between 1999 and 2013. We used a linked administrative dataset comprising

This article shows how domestic violence perpetrators can use coercive control against their children after their ex‐partner has separated from them. Coercive control can include violence, threats, intimidation, stalking, monitoring, emotional abuse and manipulation, interwoven with periods of seemingly ‘caring’ and ‘indulgent’ behaviour as part of the overall abuse. Crucially, what this article provides

No abstract is available for this article.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with negative mental and physical health consequences. Neighbourhood police officers (NPOs) are thought to be well placed to identify and support children experiencing ACEs. Within this paper, we describe a qualitative exploration of an initiative deployed by a large UK police force which aimed to aid early identification of young people with

Various prevention strategies have proven effectiveness in preventing abusive head trauma (AHT). Most aim to influence parental knowledge and attitudes. At the same time, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to be important risk factors for child physical abuse. However, the pathways from ACEs to AHT are not fully understood. This study examines the relation between prior ACEs and attitudes

Since 2008, medical providers have offered the Take 5 Safety Plan for Crying (Take 5) to caregivers of newborns at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH); it focuses on five steps to manage caregiver frustration with infant crying and to prevent a caregiver from hurting an infant. We sought to determine whether Take 5 reduced the occurrence of abusive head trauma (AHT). Using a case–control design, we reviewed

The increasing use of qualitative methodologies to explore experiences of child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure has led to the need to synthesise these findings. Recent reviews have tended to focus on the barriers to disclosure more than the facilitators or to conflate findings from studies of adults and studies of children and adolescents. This paper focuses on a qualitative meta‐analysis of studies

The hidden nature of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is well established. Globally, its prevalence is difficult to ascertain, but international legal frameworks and existing studies recognise that DVA is experienced directly by children and young people in the home or within their own intimate partner relationships. In 2013, UK policy transformed teenagers into primary service users of DVA refuges

Sporting environments provide contexts in which a range of abuses of children has occurred. While there is an increasing awareness of the need to improve child protection in sport, the extent to which listening to children's voices can support this has yet to be explored. This paper reports on research commissioned by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Child Protection

No abstract is available for this article.

Sexually abused young people often display few or no physical symptoms, and delay of verbal disclosure is common. Based on previous research, we assume that sexually abused children and adolescents may display nonverbal emotional signs, which can be assessed during an investigative interview for suspected child sexual abuse (CSA). We aim to present an overview of reported instruments for the assessment

It is essential to examine child sexual abuse (CSA) and depression from a developmental perspective. Two meta‐analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between CSA and depression pertaining to the age at onset. English and Chinese databases were searched for articles on the association between CSA and depression that were published before December 2016. Random effect models were used in the

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is often characterised by a power imbalance between the abuser and the child. Age difference is one of the power imbalances observed. However, there is no clear guidance on what age difference should raise concern. This article provides empirical evidence on age difference observed between: (a) teenagers (13–17‐year‐olds) who have attended a sexual health clinic and

Colombia is one of the countries where corporal punishment (CP) is not yet banned. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of CP in Colombia with respect to prevalence, severity and chronicity. We used the Spanish version of the Parent–Child Conflict Tactics Scale to assess 853 parental reports on the use of CP against their children in the four major cities of the country: Barranquilla

No abstract is available for this article.

This qualitative study explored the views of children about how their township communities should change to safeguard children from child sexual abuse (CSA). In 2014, 18 North‐West University student social workers, placed at four organisations for practical work in Gauteng, South Africa, were trained to purposefully recruit participants and employ a draw‐and‐write visual research method. Ninety participants

This article presents data on 1550 children and young people with experiences of child sexual exploitation or who are displaying harmful sexual behaviours (HSB). Data were collected from two recently merged services operating across Wales: one working with children and young people who are at risk of, or abused through, sexual exploitation; and the other providing assessment and intervention services