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Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review

Taina Laajasalo, Laura Cowley, Gabriel Otterman, Diogo Lamela, Leonor Bettencourt Rodrigues, Andreas Jud, Alison Kemp, Aideen Naughton, Lisa Hurt, Virginia Soldino, Athanasios Ntinapogias, Ulugbek Nurmatov

Child Abuse & Neglect, Volume: 140, Start page: 106187

Swansea University Author: Laura Cowley

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106187

Abstract

BackgroundStudies show considerable variability in the definitions and operationalization of child maltreatment (CM), which limits research, policy formation, surveillance, and cross-country and cross-sector comparisons.ObjectiveTo review the recent literature (2011–2021) to understand current issue...

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Published in: Child Abuse & Neglect
ISSN: 0145-2134
Published: Elsevier BV 2023
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa63138
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Articles were included if the substantive content was related to issues, challenges, and debates in defining CM, and the article was an original study, review, commentary, report, or guideline. The review followed methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Four experts in CM conducted a thematic analysis to summarize findings. Methodological rigor of the included studies was not formally assessed.ResultsWe identified 7372 potentially relevant articles; 55 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility, 25 satisfied the inclusion criteria. We identified three themes: 1) strategies to define CM, including the integration of child and victim perspectives; 2) difficulties in defining specific CM types; and 3) real-world implications for research, prevention and policy.ConclusionsDespite longstanding concerns, challenges regarding the definitions of CM persist. A small minority of studies have tested and implemented CM definitions and operationalizations in practice. The findings will inform international multi-sectoral processes to develop uniform definitions of CM, for example by highlighting the need to acknowledge challenges in defining some CM types and emphasizing the importance of considering the perspectives of children and CM survivors.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Child Abuse &amp;amp; Neglect</journal><volume>140</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>106187</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Elsevier BV</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0145-2134</issnPrint><issnElectronic/><keywords>Child maltreatment, Child abuse and neglect, Definitions, Scoping review</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>6</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2023</publishedYear><publishedDate>2023-06-01</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106187</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Medical School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>MEDS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Other</apcterm><funders>European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) - 19106</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-06-06T14:28:15.1961440</lastEdited><Created>2023-04-13T10:29:04.4067162</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Taina</firstname><surname>Laajasalo</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Laura</firstname><surname>Cowley</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Gabriel</firstname><surname>Otterman</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Diogo</firstname><surname>Lamela</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Leonor Bettencourt</firstname><surname>Rodrigues</surname><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Andreas</firstname><surname>Jud</surname><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Alison</firstname><surname>Kemp</surname><order>7</order></author><author><firstname>Aideen</firstname><surname>Naughton</surname><order>8</order></author><author><firstname>Lisa</firstname><surname>Hurt</surname><order>9</order></author><author><firstname>Virginia</firstname><surname>Soldino</surname><order>10</order></author><author><firstname>Athanasios</firstname><surname>Ntinapogias</surname><order>11</order></author><author><firstname>Ulugbek</firstname><surname>Nurmatov</surname><order>12</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>63138__27026__9ec365dac4fe4d30a7b9908fb69b51e4.pdf</filename><originalFilename>63138.VOR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2023-04-13T10:39:40.4544639</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>808557</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; 2023 The Author(s). 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spelling 2025-06-06T14:28:15.1961440 v2 63138 2023-04-13 Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review a80501f280e89fee276510b25fc68e77 Laura Cowley Laura Cowley true false 2023-04-13 MEDS BackgroundStudies show considerable variability in the definitions and operationalization of child maltreatment (CM), which limits research, policy formation, surveillance, and cross-country and cross-sector comparisons.ObjectiveTo review the recent literature (2011–2021) to understand current issues and challenges in defining CM, to assist in the planning, testing and implementing of CM conceptualizations.MethodsWe searched eight international databases. Articles were included if the substantive content was related to issues, challenges, and debates in defining CM, and the article was an original study, review, commentary, report, or guideline. The review followed methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Four experts in CM conducted a thematic analysis to summarize findings. Methodological rigor of the included studies was not formally assessed.ResultsWe identified 7372 potentially relevant articles; 55 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility, 25 satisfied the inclusion criteria. We identified three themes: 1) strategies to define CM, including the integration of child and victim perspectives; 2) difficulties in defining specific CM types; and 3) real-world implications for research, prevention and policy.ConclusionsDespite longstanding concerns, challenges regarding the definitions of CM persist. A small minority of studies have tested and implemented CM definitions and operationalizations in practice. The findings will inform international multi-sectoral processes to develop uniform definitions of CM, for example by highlighting the need to acknowledge challenges in defining some CM types and emphasizing the importance of considering the perspectives of children and CM survivors. Journal Article Child Abuse &amp; Neglect 140 106187 Elsevier BV 0145-2134 Child maltreatment, Child abuse and neglect, Definitions, Scoping review 1 6 2023 2023-06-01 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106187 COLLEGE NANME Medical School COLLEGE CODE MEDS Swansea University Other European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) - 19106 2025-06-06T14:28:15.1961440 2023-04-13T10:29:04.4067162 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science Taina Laajasalo 1 Laura Cowley 2 Gabriel Otterman 3 Diogo Lamela 4 Leonor Bettencourt Rodrigues 5 Andreas Jud 6 Alison Kemp 7 Aideen Naughton 8 Lisa Hurt 9 Virginia Soldino 10 Athanasios Ntinapogias 11 Ulugbek Nurmatov 12 63138__27026__9ec365dac4fe4d30a7b9908fb69b51e4.pdf 63138.VOR.pdf 2023-04-13T10:39:40.4544639 Output 808557 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2023 The Author(s). Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
spellingShingle Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
Laura Cowley
title_short Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
title_full Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
title_fullStr Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
title_sort Current issues and challenges in the definition and operationalization of child maltreatment: A scoping review
author_id_str_mv a80501f280e89fee276510b25fc68e77
author_id_fullname_str_mv a80501f280e89fee276510b25fc68e77_***_Laura Cowley
author Laura Cowley
author2 Taina Laajasalo
Laura Cowley
Gabriel Otterman
Diogo Lamela
Leonor Bettencourt Rodrigues
Andreas Jud
Alison Kemp
Aideen Naughton
Lisa Hurt
Virginia Soldino
Athanasios Ntinapogias
Ulugbek Nurmatov
format Journal article
container_title Child Abuse &amp; Neglect
container_volume 140
container_start_page 106187
publishDate 2023
institution Swansea University
issn 0145-2134
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106187
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Swansea University Medical School - Health Data Science
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description BackgroundStudies show considerable variability in the definitions and operationalization of child maltreatment (CM), which limits research, policy formation, surveillance, and cross-country and cross-sector comparisons.ObjectiveTo review the recent literature (2011–2021) to understand current issues and challenges in defining CM, to assist in the planning, testing and implementing of CM conceptualizations.MethodsWe searched eight international databases. Articles were included if the substantive content was related to issues, challenges, and debates in defining CM, and the article was an original study, review, commentary, report, or guideline. The review followed methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Four experts in CM conducted a thematic analysis to summarize findings. Methodological rigor of the included studies was not formally assessed.ResultsWe identified 7372 potentially relevant articles; 55 full-text studies were assessed for eligibility, 25 satisfied the inclusion criteria. We identified three themes: 1) strategies to define CM, including the integration of child and victim perspectives; 2) difficulties in defining specific CM types; and 3) real-world implications for research, prevention and policy.ConclusionsDespite longstanding concerns, challenges regarding the definitions of CM persist. A small minority of studies have tested and implemented CM definitions and operationalizations in practice. The findings will inform international multi-sectoral processes to develop uniform definitions of CM, for example by highlighting the need to acknowledge challenges in defining some CM types and emphasizing the importance of considering the perspectives of children and CM survivors.
published_date 2023-06-01T05:11:39Z
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