How does COVID-19 impact intrafamilial child sexual abuse? Comparison analysis of reports by practitioners in Israel and the US

Abstract

Background There is consensus in child sexual abuse (CSA) literature that intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) has a tremendous impact on children and families while simultaneously creating challenges for practitioners. COVID-19 impacted countries worldwide and generated a global crisis resulting in impacts on daily life, however, it’s effect on IFCSA is unknown. Objective This study aimed to compare professional perspectives and experiences working with IFCSA with respect to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic within the United States and Israel. Participants and Setting Participants were therapeutic, child welfare and legal professionals, who provided services to children involved in IFCSA. Methods This qualitative cross-cultural comparative study analyzes professional experiences of IFCSA during COVID-19 based on an open-ended questionnaire answered online, with 37 responses from the US and 23 responses from Israel. Results Findings reveal mostly negative changes in the dynamics of IFCSA families during COVID-19, including financial, environmental, and emotional hardships, as well as some positive changes in the relationships among family members. In terms of professional interventions, concerns were raised that COVID-19 has been detrimental to the disclosure of IFCSA, with plummeting child abuse reports. Further, risk and benefits of transferring to internet based or telephonic therapeutic interventions were shared. Conclusions Governmental and community efforts are needed to develop a safety net of protective factors to reduce IFCSA risks and increase resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic and future global crises. Moreover, enhanced strategies to accessing and supporting families remotely such as using technology could improve identification and response to IFCSA.

Responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning, and children’s safety and security during COVID-19: A rapid review

“…Thirteen studies across seven countries, mostly utilizing publicly available administrative data, suggest that referrals of potential abuse, neglect, and maltreatment to child protective services were substantially lower during the COVID-19 pandemic than before quarantine measures were put in place [89–101]. Surveys of child protection workers similarly reported decreased referrals and more difficulty identifying children and families in need during lockdown [99,102,103]. For example, a study based on data from January 2015 to May 2020 for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services reports there were 29% fewer allegations of child maltreatment for March 2020—when school closures first began— compared to previous years [96].…”

Associations between Stress and Child Verbal Abuse and Corporal Punishment during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Potential Effect Modification by Lockdown Measures

“…Such findings could have been influenced by differing windows of measurement for the outcomes and exposure (history in past month for verbal abuse or corporal punishment, and history in past two weeks for stress). In multiple settings, reports of child abuse decreased after lockdown implementation (Barboza et al, 2020; Caron et al, 2020; Martins-Filho et al, 2020; Rapoport et al, 2020) possibly due to school closure and consequent lack of reporting by school staff (Barboza et al, 2020; Caron et al, 2020; Fore & Cappa, 2020; Jacob, 2020; Rapoport et al, 2020; Thomas et al, 2020), despite worsening family dynamics(Tener et al, 2020) and drastic increase in contact with helplines(Petrowski et al, 2020). In our study, social desirability as well as the respondents’ own perception of whether stress was the attributing factor for the act of verbal abuse or corporal punishment could have led to under-reporting of the outcomes.…”

“…As school staff commonly serve as screeners and reporters of child abuse and neglect, the occurrence of child abuses during lockdown is likely to be under-reported (Barboza et al, 2020; Caron et al, 2020). In the household, children can suffer verbal and physical abuses at the hands of their caregivers (Babvey et al, 2020; Barboza et al, 2020; Brown et al, 2020; Kovler et al, 2020; Lawson et al, 2020; Tener et al, 2020). COVID-19 lockdown can result in job loss (Lawson et al, 2020), loss of income, and material hardship (Xu et al, 2020), which are associated with parenting stress (Xu et al, 2020) and acts of child abuse (Barboza et al, 2020; Lawson et al, 2020).…”

Education during and after the pandemics

“…For their part, Tener et al (2020) carried out an investigation on intra-family sexual abuse of children. Financial and emotional difficulties made them vulnerable, especially with schools' closure.…”