Health and public health approach to ending child abuse and neglect

Male-On-Male Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse in the Caribbean Region of Colombia: A Secondary Analysis of Medico-Legal Reports

“…While social agencies frequently develop programs to address the harm to children caused by abuse, there is a need for action to prevent CSA before it occurs. A public health approach is needed that can address CSA at a micro and macro societal levels by proposing evidence-based and culturally preventative actions [76,77]. These would include government-led interventions to facilitate the arrest and prosecution of offenders in order to protect the young people.…”

Child protective services during COVID-19 and doubly marginalized children: International perspectives

“…As others have previously stated, these policies should reflect a child rights-based response ( Raman et al, 2020 ) and a public health approach to child wellbeing and welfare ( Herrenkohl et al, 2021 ) based on the assumption that every person has a right to protection from violence ( Richards, 2007 ). Such an approach views protection as a human right for all communities that should be anchored by law and policy ( Bross & Krugman, 2020 ).…”

The Analogy of Child Protection as Public Health: An Analysis of Utility, Fit, Awareness, and Need

“…Despite half a century of advocacy, research, and varying degrees of engagement from policy makers around the world, child maltreatment remains widespread (Cyr et al 2013;Finkelhor et al 2015) and calls for the adoption of a public health approach to child maltreatment remain common (Herrenkohl et al 2019;Tonmyr et al 2019;Bross and Krugman 2020;Malvaso et al 2020;Runyan et al 2020). It may be that the discourse of public health has been influential in research and in the language appropriated by policy makers, whereas the practical application of public health principles has been superficial or inadequate.…”

“…It may be that the discourse of public health has been influential in research and in the language appropriated by policy makers, whereas the practical application of public health principles has been superficial or inadequate. Problems with implementation, fidelity, and insufficient funding for primary and secondary prevention have been put forward as possible explanations for the lack of progress in reducing overall rates of maltreatment (Higgins 2014;Churchill and Fawcett 2016;Bross and Krugman 2020).…”