Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the lives of children and parents, raising concerns about child maltreatment. Objective We examined the prevalence of abusive parenting behavior during the pandemic of the COVID-19 and its relations with physical, psychological, and social factors and positive parenting behavior. Participants and setting An online survey was performed during the COVID-19 state of emergency in Japan. Participants were 5344 parents of children aged 0–17 years. Methods We conducted an anonymous online survey using multiple platforms, including websites of child-related organizations and social networking services (SNS). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with abusive behavior. Results One-fifth of parents reported abusive behaviors, whereas over 80% of parents reported positive parenting behaviors (e.g., empathizing with a child). Abusive parenting behaviors were associated with longer screen time (6+ hours per day: OR, 1.44; 95%CI, 1.05–1.98), poor maternal mental health (K6 = 13+: OR, 2.23; 95%CI, 1.71–2.89), and the occurrence of domestic violence (OR, 4.54; 95%CI, 3.47–5.95). Positive parenting behaviors, especially showing empathy, were associated with lower risks of abusive behaviors (OR, 0.51: 95%CI, 0.39–0.66). Conclusions Positive parenting behavior is essential to the prevention of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background Few studies have used direct reports by children to assess how the rights documented in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have been affected during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Methods Data were obtained from the CORONA‐CODOMO Survey, a web‐based survey conducted from April to May 2020 in Japan, targeting children aged 7–17 and parents/guardians of children aged 0–17. We focused on self‐reports from children, including two open‐ended questions asking their needs and opinions. The results were analyzed according to the five categories of rights defined by the CRC: education, health, safety, play, and participation. Results Among the 2,591 children who participated in the survey, 1,292 children (49.9%) answered at least one of the two open‐ended questions. The most frequent concern was COVID‐19 infecting members of their families (78.2%), followed by the inability to see their friends (74.3%). There were 1,523 direct comments from children. The comments covered a wide range of the rights in the CRC, including reopening of schools, disparities in education, access to health information, alternatives for playing and seeing friends, and needs for participation and being heard. Few comments were related to safety whereas a certain proportion of children were victimized within households. Conclusions Our results suggest that the rights outlined in the CRC have been restricted during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Health and educational professionals working with children and policymakers should introduce the rights‐based approach to protect the best interests of children during and after the pandemic.

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