Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Child Maltreat. 2024 Aug;29(3):415-429. doi: 10.1177/10775595231221798. Epub 2023 Dec 12.
Children were at a greater risk of adverse experiences, including maltreatment, during the COVID-19 pandemic given the increased stress experienced by families and reduced visibility outside the home. Child maltreatment investigators witnessed the effects of the pandemic on maltreated children and offer valuable insight regarding children's experiences during the pandemic. The objective of this study was to examine child maltreatment investigators' perspectives of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maltreated children and their families in Canada. Sixteen child maltreatment investigators were recruited from agencies across Canada that investigate or offer services to children suspected of having been maltreated. Three focus groups were conducted, which followed a semi-structured interview guide developed by the researchers. Thematic analysis resulted in five primary themes regarding maltreatment investigators' perceptions of the pandemic's effects on children, including child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased exposure to violent and traumatic events, stress and challenges faced by families, reduced access to services, and challenges and delays with maltreatment investigations. Child maltreatment investigators perceived that the pandemic profoundly impacted maltreated children and their families. It is critical to ensure children and parents have access to services during future emergencies.
儿童在 COVID-19 大流行期间面临更大的不良经历风险,包括虐待,因为家庭面临更大的压力,家庭外的可见度降低。虐待儿童调查人员目睹了大流行对受虐待儿童的影响,并就儿童在大流行期间的经历提供了宝贵的见解。本研究的目的是研究加拿大虐待儿童调查人员对 COVID-19 大流行对受虐待儿童及其家庭影响的看法。从加拿大各地调查或为疑似受虐待儿童提供服务的机构招募了 16 名虐待儿童调查人员。进行了三次焦点小组讨论,这些讨论遵循研究人员制定的半结构化访谈指南。主题分析产生了五个关于虐待儿童调查人员对大流行对儿童影响的看法的主要主题,包括 COVID-19 大流行期间的虐待儿童行为、暴力和创伤性事件的增加、家庭面临的压力和挑战、服务获取减少以及虐待调查的挑战和延迟。虐待儿童调查人员认为,大流行对受虐待儿童及其家庭产生了深远的影响。至关重要的是,要确保在未来的紧急情况下,儿童和父母能够获得服务。