Child violence experiences in institutionalised/orphanage care

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Social Work
• Public Health

Background:

• Institutional care for children is widespread, particularly in contexts of crisis.
• Concerns exist regarding cognitive developmental delay associated with institutionalization.
• Abuse and violence within institutional settings are under-researched yet critical issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the prevalence of violence and abuse in institutional care.
• To identify interventions aimed at reducing such violence and abuse.
• To examine the impact of institutionalization on cognitive development, considering abuse as a factor.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of multiple electronic databases.
• Inclusion of studies meeting adequacy criteria for data abstraction.
• Keyword searches covering prevalence, interventions, perpetrators, and cognitive development.

Main Results:

• Eight studies reported on abuse prevalence; three on interventions; one on peer violence.
• Sixty-six studies linked institutionalization to cognitive deficits.
• Abuse and violence are poorly documented but prevalent, impacting child well-being and linked to suicidal attempts.

Conclusions:

• Violence and abuse are prevalent in institutions, affecting child well-being and amenable to intervention.
• Out-of-home placement shows benefits for cognitive outcomes.
• Training and monitoring of harsh punishment significantly reduce maltreatment.