Key Practitioner Messages Increased stress and decreased resources during a lockdown and social distancing can augment the risk for child abuse and neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health practitioners should continue to be prepared for potentially rising numbers of cases of child abuse and neglect. Child protection services and mental health care should be considered essential and be available

No abstract is available for this article.

The original research presented in this issue of Child Abuse Review explores some of the pitfalls, paradoxes and perplexity of working in child protection. We draw on work from Australia, France, the UK and USA covering issues ranging from abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants through to the criminal exploitation of young people. Working in child protection is never going to be easy, but these papers

Child abuse and neglect is a complex problem that needs to be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach. Nurses internationally have frequent contact with children and are ideally placed to respond to children experiencing abuse and neglect. Nurses' roles can include reporting abuse to child protection services (CPS). This paper reports on one aspect of the findings of a qualitative study exploring

Corporal punishment remains the default method for disciplining children in many countries. Advocates for its ban highlight psychological effects, risks for physical abuse, and violation of children's right against harm. Opponents of its ban affirm its efficacy in raising children and consider legal banning as encroachment on religious rights and freedom. Only 59 countries have banned corporal punishment

Many human trafficking victims access healthcare, but most are not identified. Healthcare providers' overall knowledge in identifying commercially sexually exploited children was strong. Healthcare providers lack confidence in identifying and managing sexually exploited children.

The mental health problems of parents can negatively affect their whole family. The organisational and wider context may also influence the outcomes for all involved. The aims of this systematic review were: to develop a working definition of family-focused practice (FFP); identify the types of outcomes that are measured with a focus on service user experiences; and explore how well interventions in

The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), official organisers of Anti-Bullying Week across the UK, has copious resources for practitioners and schools wanting to reduce bullying, including free online training to reduce bullying of disabled children and children with special educational needs (SEN). These children are twice as likely to experience bullying than non-disabled children, and they may be more likely

Many children continue to be sexually abused worldwide. In Ghana, relatively high figures of child sexual abuse (CSA) are reported by the police daily. Although there are laws that seek to protect children from sexual abuse, in reality, there is a wide gulf between legislation and practice. This paper explores why this is so by examining the measures adopted in sanctioning perpetrators of CSA in the

Child protection conferences (CPCs) are multiagency meetings that are central to child protection procedures in the UK. They bring together practitioners, parents and children to consider whether a child has experienced significant harm and, if so, what action is required to protect him or her in future. This article presents findings from a qualitative study of CPCs in two areas in central England

One important cause of retinal haemorrhages (RHs) in children is abusive head trauma (AHT). Our programme of research was conducted on children admitted to hospital over a seven-year period who had RHs as part of their clinical presentation. This paper summarises important findings from previous publications. As a prerequisite, two basic studies were necessary: (i) a method of reporting the precise

This study explores perceptions of child abuse and child protection matters involving staff working in the out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) sector. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an online survey, focus group and interviews with staff and managers employed by one organisation that provided OSHC services in Sydney, Australia. This paper reports on their perceptions about implementing

Many children and young people experiencing child sexual abuse (CSA) never come to the attention of statutory services or they are identified years after the abuse has first occurred. The professional response to CSA has historically been disclosure-led, abrogating responsibilities to children and young people, and diminishing professional skill and confidence in recognising and responding to CSA (Children's

While certainly not a new phenomenon, the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults in ‘county lines’ drug distribution and sales now attracts considerable attention and concern. In this study, we explored professionals' perspectives on understandings of and responses to this issue in the West Midlands, UK. We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 participants from policing, prosecution, government

Flying Start is an enhanced early years programme in Wales which is targeted at areas where a high proportion of households with children are recipients of income-related benefits or tax credits. Child protection interventions are known to be concentrated in more deprived areas. Flying Start could have the effect of reducing risk to children or, conversely, it could result in more children coming to

This study assesses the feasibility of using a screening tool to proactively identify child survivors of sexual violence in Kenyan primary school and health facility settings, and to refer such survivors to care. A mixed-methods design was employed, involving quantitative screening tool data, as well as service data from 497 girls and boys in two primary schools (in standards six to eight) and one

No abstract is available for this article.

The five original articles in this issue of Child Abuse Review present an eclectic mix of original research, examining issues around the disclosure of sexual abuse, the willingness of adults to intervene in situations of possible abuse or neglect, and different aspects of adverse outcomes for abused and neglected children, both fatal and long-term. In addition, we publish a letter to the editors, a

This paper presents the findings of a study examining adult disclosures of childhood sexual abuse to child protection social work services in the Republic of Ireland. Limited literature indicates that adults can have negative experiences when disclosing childhood abuse; this is primarily owing to a lack of training, policy and guidance for practitioners, and legal complexities regarding allegations

Child sexual abuse is a frequent phenomenon in Chile, but it is not often disclosed by its victims. The lack of disclosure is more common in the male population, presumably owing to cultural factors. The objective of this study was to deepen understanding of child sexual abuse disclosure in the Chilean population, focusing particularly on the role of gender. The study combined data extraction from

The serious negative impacts of child abuse and neglect require greater focus on understanding the factors that influence adults' willingness to intervene when they observe instances of possible abuse and neglect. This study tests whether certain reporter characteristics and experiences, such as individual and family maltreatment history/experiences and perceived knowledge of child abuse indicators

Child abuse is an adverse life experience that has important physical and psychological implications. This work studies the executive functions of children who have suffered abuse and whether there are differences in the executive functioning due to the different types of child abuse. The participants included 74 children between seven and 16 years of age suffering maltreatment. The results indicate

Child homicides are rare occurrences, but when they occur, they often cause significant outrage. This paper examines the role of varying degrees of intimacy between victims and perpetrators in determining characteristics in child homicide cases. Focusing on 533 cases of child homicide between 1985 and 2012 in Ontario, Canada, characteristics of intrafamilial and extrafamilial cases, biological and

Effective prevention of abusive head trauma (AHT) requires the identification of potential perpetrators. Current evidence suggests that infant shaking, as a mechanism of AHT, produces immediate symptoms, allowing for the dating of the event based on clinical symptoms. Determining precisely when symptoms occurred may help law enforcement to identify the perpetrator. We retrieved written legal statements

The BuRN-Tool is a clinical prediction tool designed to indicate child protection (CP) concerns for children attending the emergency department with a burn. Eight weighted factors contribute to a summative score between 0 and 12, a score ≥3 indicates a CP concern. In order to test agreement of the BuRN-Tool score with CP concern and with the social care CP outcome, it was applied retrospectively to

No abstract is available for this article.

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)

Key Practitioner Messages Closed, often tight‐knit army communities can potentially provide protective factors for children; however, this environment can make it difficult to seek help or to speak out when there are concerns about children's safety or wellbeing. The needs and experiences of non‐serving parents (often female partners) can be overlooked unless, or until, child protection concerns are

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

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

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

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

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

The fabrication or induction of illness (FII) is a relatively rare situation which can lead to serious physical and/or emotional harm to a child. FII is often difficult for professionals to identify and manage. In this study the views of representatives from the 147 Local Safeguarding Children Boards in England were sought on the challenges to safeguarding children from FII, and how these might be

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 began supporting

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.

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

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

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

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