Child maltreatment: Prevalence, risk, solutions, obstacles

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a growing problem nationally in Australia. This paper documents the extent of the problem. It also presents a range of interventions shown to work, including a number that have been developed and used here in Australasia. Despite the fact that there are evidence-based services available, the problem of child maltreatment continues to grow. Problems linked to implementing and sustaining an evidence-based program or culture include organisations that are resistant to change, whose staff see a new program as short term and not a part of longer-term, routine service delivery. In the face of such a climate, these initial conditions then have potential to become exacerbated through hasty implementation of new services that are not well thought out, resourced or supported. With intervention services that have documented potential, the critical next step is to ensure that implementation is done correctly to guarantee that successful services are being delivered effectively over the long term. Thus, following a description of the problem of child maltreatment and review of potential intervention-based solutions, this paper then discusses factors that need to be considered when advocating for or adopting a new, evidence-supported service. Psychologists have a role to play in the future to help stem the growth of child maltreatment in Australia, at both local service delivery as well as state and national policy levels.

Does Maltreatment in Childhood Affect Sexual Orientation in Adulthood?

“…Several family characteristics, namely, presence of a stepparent, poverty, parental alcohol abuse, and parental mental illness, are established risk factors for maltreatment (Administration on Children Youth and Families, 2007; Bays, 1990; Ronan, Canoy, & Burke, 2009) but are not plausibly affected by a child’s nascent sexual orientation. We therefore used these family characteristics as instrumental variables to estimate the effect of maltreatment on sexual orientation.…”

Teacher Education to Meet the Challenges Posed by Child Sexual Abuse

“…Physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect are often characterised by substance abuse, domestic violence, the parent being abused as a child, criminal activity, mental illness, low socioeconomic status, single parenthood, low parental age, poor parental skills, and the child's difficult temperament (Ronan, Canoy, & Burke, 2009). In contrast, sexual abuse is more likely where the child is female, and where there is marital conflict, low parental attachment, overprotective parenting, parental alcohol abuse, absence of a parent, and presence of a stepfather (Putnam, 2003;Ronan et al, 2009). Where the perpetrator is an adult or a person in a clearly defined position of power, most sexual abuse occurs when the child is under 13.…”

Child Rights As Perceived by the Community Members in India

“…Therefore, knowledge and perception of parents and teachers about quality parenting, quality care and child rights are very important as these knowledge and perceptions mostly determine their behaviour and attitude towards children and students. Evidence indicates that a greater extensive research was done on prevalence of various forms of violence against children and its consequences on mental health, career growth and social life in the western countries (Kempe et al, 1962;Gilbert et al, 2009;Ronan et al, 2009;May-Chahal & Cawson, 2005;Finkelhor et al, 2010) compared to Asian countries including India (Yeatman et al, 1976;Bhattacharyya, 1979;Mehta et al, 1979;de Silva, 1981;Segal, 1992Segal, , 1995.…”