WARNING: During isolation, the risk of domestic violence and child abuse increases
Although statistics and scientific knowledge to date do not indicate that children and young people are a risk group, since the illness in most cases is accompanied by milder symptomatology, there are certain aspects of current circumstances that make children and young people more vulnerable. Germany is one of the first countries to warn of the possibility of increasing child abuse due to the current policy of staying in their homes to prevent further infection and transmission of the virus.
Increase in child abuse after school closures in Africa due to the Ebola epidemic
UNESCO reports that 160 countries around the world have closed their schools, accounting for almost 87% of the world’s student population. Although no health crisis has been reported in the past that would lead to an educational crisis of this magnitude, the goal of which has closed schools is to prevent further infections and to preserve human lives.
Between 2014 and 2016, during the Ebola outbreak, a large number of schools were closed in the Western African Continent. The closure of schools resulted in significantly higher sexual exploitation of children and an increased number of juvenile pregnancies. Jenkins (2020) states that during the course of the aforementioned health crisis in Sierra Leone, the case of juvenile pregnancies has doubled, reaching 14,000.
The rise in child abuse and neglect on American National Holidays when parents and children are in their homes
On the other hand, one US study found that there are periods of the year in which child abuse and neglect occur significantly more frequently (McCharty et al., 2016). The physical and emotional abuse and neglect of children were significantly higher on all US national holidays, that is, during the period when parents of children were in their homes.
The United States Department of Child and Youth Health lists a number of risk factors for child abuse and neglect, some of which are most relevant:
– Unemployment of parents (parents spend more time at home)
– Poor schools (non-cooperative and unrelated to other institutions)
– Unavailability of centers for social care, child health care and other systems involved in the protection and welfare of children
Coronavirus and increased risk for domestic violence: Chinese data
The situation in the world is not harmless, because in addition to health risks it potentially leads to an increased risk of domestic violence as well as child abuse and neglect. This is supported by the increased number of police interventions that in China’s Hubei Province (from which the coronavirus (COVID-19) virus is thought to have initially spread) has tripled over the duration of self-isolation measures due to domestic violence. In the same period last year, the number of reports of domestic violence was 47, and this year the figure is far higher – 162.
“Abuse pandemic” over measures coronavirus pandemic
Associations around the world have warned of an “epidemic of abuse” that could result from physical retreat (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) as children and young people, especially vulnerable groups, are reduced in their current situation to trust other trusted adults ( e.g., teachers or associates). In addition, there is a potential for a sense of helplessness for the victims, ie “no place to escape”, or that the accessibility of services for the protection and well-being of children and young people is in the shadow of the accessibility of health services in order to identify and treat coronavirus diseases.
Guidelines for the near future
The UK National Crime Agency warns parents that the current situation of the pandemic is a risk for increased use of the internet in children as well as adults. Increased online activities in the current situation lead to an increased risk of children becoming victims of online sexual predators. Also, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) warns of the increased use of electronic devices in children and young people who are physically not attending school due to the pandemic. The IWF states that an increasing number of materials involving some form of child sexual abuse on the Internet have recently been encountered on the Internet.
The International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) reports alarming reports of an increase in reports of child sexual abuse on the Internet, including grooming activities, each week in March.
How to reduce the risk of online sexual abuse of children and young people (FBI, 2020):
– Discuss online safety with kids of all ages as they engage in online activities.
– Review and approve games and applications before your child downloads them.
– Make sure your privacy settings are set to the strictest possible level for network systems on electronic devices.
– Follow the kids on the Internet
– Emphasize to children that anyone who asks him or her to engage in online sexual activity should report it to you or another adult they trust and the police.
By: Krešimir Prijatelj, MSc of psychology
Bibliography:
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2004). https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/riskprotectivefactors.pdf [accessed 3/28/2020]
Jenkins, R. (2020). Commentary: Ebola taught us why closing schools may be extreme. https://www.concordmonitor.com/Closing-schools-33403296 [accessed 3/28/2020]
Lockdowns around the world bring rise in domestic violence (2020).: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/28/lockdowns-world-rise-domestic-violence [accessed 3/28/2020]
McCarthy, R. J., Miron, L. R., Milner, J. S., Coley, S. L., Ormsby, L. i Oliver, M. (2016). When does child maltreatment occur? Daily variations in child maltreatment among families served by the US Air Force Family Advocacy Program. Military behavioral health, 4(4), 364-372.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (2020). https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/protecting-your-kids [accessed 3/28/2020]
UNESCO (2020). https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures [accessed 3/28/2020]
Usta, J. i Farver, J. (2010). Child sexual abuse in Lebanon during war and peace. Child: care, health and health and development, 36(3), 361-368.
Disclaimer: This is unofficial translation provided for information purposes. Zagreb Child and Youth Protection Center cannot be held legally responsible for any translation inaccuracy.
