Department of Political Science and International Relations, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Division of International Studies, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Public Health. 2023 Aug;221:17-22. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.05.008. Epub 2023 May 15.
Although research has demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the likelihood of children experiencing domestic abuse, few empirical studies have focused on the most vulnerable communities in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence towards children in Kenya and Zambia.
In collaboration with an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), an original door-to-door survey of 842 children and their parents (or adult guardians) was conducted in Kenya and Zambia. The survey sites were carefully selected to target economically underprivileged communities with the presence of NGOs as well as those without.
Using multivariate regression analysis of child and parent survey responses, we attempted to identify how parents' experiences of COVID-19 affected children's exposure to domestic violence. Our analysis of domestic violence included both emotional (psychological) and physical violence.
Children from households whose guardians perceived a strongly negative effect of COVID-19 were more likely to experience domestic violence. The correlation was statistically significant for both emotional and physical violence. In Kenya, children in communities with NGO presence were less likely to experience domestic violence.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed children to an increased risk of experiencing domestic violence. Children from underprivileged communities in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to such risk, as they tend to lack social support from communities and governments. International organisations must pay more attention to these children during the pandemic.
尽管有研究表明，COVID-19 大流行增加了儿童遭受家庭暴力的可能性，但很少有实证研究关注发展中国家最脆弱的社区。本研究旨在评估 COVID-19 大流行对肯尼亚和赞比亚儿童遭受家庭暴力的影响。
本研究与一家国际非政府组织（NGO）合作，在肯尼亚和赞比亚对 842 名儿童及其父母（或成年监护人）进行了一项原始的逐户调查。调查地点经过精心挑选，以针对经济上处于不利地位的社区，包括有 NGO 存在的社区和没有 NGO 存在的社区。
我们使用儿童和家长调查回应的多元回归分析，试图确定父母对 COVID-19 的经历如何影响儿童遭受家庭暴力的情况。我们对家庭暴力的分析包括情感（心理）和身体暴力。
监护人认为 COVID-19 产生强烈负面影响的家庭的儿童更有可能遭受家庭暴力。这种关联在情感和身体暴力方面均具有统计学意义。在肯尼亚，有 NGO 存在的社区中的儿童遭受家庭暴力的可能性较低。
COVID-19 大流行使儿童面临遭受家庭暴力的风险增加。发展中国家贫困社区的儿童尤其容易受到这种风险的影响，因为他们往往缺乏来自社区和政府的社会支持。国际组织在大流行期间必须更加关注这些儿童。
