Parental Risk and Protective Factors in Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Abstract

This study systematically reviews and synthesizes evidence on parental risk and protective factors along with identifying differences in the presence of these factors based on maltreatment type. In all, 68 quantitative, published, empirical studies were included from electronic databases for the systematic review. Quality appraisal did not exclude any studies and data were extracted from all. Results were narratively synthesized using the Risk and Resilience Ecological framework. The findings revealed more risk factors on the micro (individual and family) ecological level compared to mezzo and macro levels. At the micro level, findings mirror results of prior systematic reviews such as parental substance abuse, history of childhood maltreatment, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Social support was the most significant protective factor across all ecological levels and across all maltreatment types except child sexual abuse but differed in definition widely across studies. Physical abuse had the most risk factors unique to this type followed by neglect, and IPV was a common risk factor across all maltreatment types. Fewer studies on emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and protective factors were identified. The findings of this review delineated key parental risk and protective factors at various ecological levels along with associations between distinct factors and types of maltreatment. Interventions working with parents to reduce child maltreatment risk can use these findings to guide development of targeted programs for families based on risk and maltreatment type. For researchers, the findings can guide further investigation in under-researched areas of parental sexual and emotional abuse and protective factors.

Unique and shared risk factors for early childhood victimisation and polyvictimisation in a Brazilian population-based birth cohort

“… 51 Although targeting common risk factors may be key to effective prevention, it is also important to acknowledge and address risk factors related to specific victimisation types to shed light on the mechanisms leading to heightened vulnerability to specific outcomes. 14 …”

“…Possible risk factors were chosen a priori based on previous literature 11 , 14 , 15 , 17 - carried out between January and June of 2023, and organized according to a four-levels in a socio-ecological model: child, parent, maternal and family, and community levels ( Fig. 1 ).…”

“…13 Existing research on early childhood victimisation typically focusses on specific types of child maltreatment and is highly skewed towards studies in high-income countries. 11 , 14 , 15 In a systematic review of risk factors for physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children in low- and middle-income countries. No specific patterns of risks were identified for these different outcomes; the heterogeneity in the definitions of violence and risk factors examined was highlighted.…”

Father–Mother Co-Involvement in Child Maltreatment: Associations of Prior Perpetration, Parental Substance Use, Parental Medical Conditions, Inadequate Housing, and Intimate Partner Violence with Different Maltreatment Types

“…All the examined dyadic parental risk factors, except for mental health problems and economic insecurity, were significantly associated with at least one of the child maltreatment outcomes, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, supporting our main hypothesis. In particular, prior perpetrator in the family, substance use, and IPV were found to be salient predictors of child maltreatment committed by both mothers and fathers, though the strengths and directions of the associations varied depending on the type of maltreatment—a finding that seems to support links between distinct parental risk factors and maltreatment types in the broader literature [ 38 ].…”

Within-person bidirectional associations between maternal cortisol reactivity and harsh parenting across infancy and toddlerhood.

“…Parents may find this developmental transition challenging to navigate and may be more likely to use harsh discipline to control their children's behavior during this period. Thus, it is critical to understand factors that predict harsh parenting across the transition from infancy to toddlerhood, particularly among families living in rural poverty who are more vulnerable to experiencing risk factors for child maltreatment, such as heightened parenting stress and low social support (Vernon-Feagans et al, 2013;Younas & Gutman, 2023).…”