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The Short- and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Child Maltreatment
Mengqing Long1, Jia Huang2,3, Yishun Peng4
1Department of Psychology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
Insights
The COVID-19 lockdown initially reduced child maltreatment in China, but sexual abuse rates significantly increased post-lockdown. Risk factors for increased sexual abuse included male gender and pre-existing mental health conditions.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Public Health
- Psychology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic presents complex challenges to child safety.
- Conflicting evidence exists on lockdown's impact: some studies indicate increased child abuse and neglect due to social isolation and economic stress, while others suggest improved parent-child relationships.
- A lack of prospective studies with before-during-after lockdown assessments hinders a clear understanding of lockdown measures' effects on child maltreatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the retrospective impact of lockdown measures on child maltreatment among Chinese children and adolescents.
- To identify risk factors associated with child maltreatment before, during, and after the lockdown period.
- To analyze the short-term and long-term effects of lockdown on various forms of child maltreatment.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study was conducted on 2821 Chinese children and adolescents aged 12 to 18.
- Data on child maltreatment (emotional abuse/neglect, physical abuse/neglect, sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence) were collected for before, during, and after lockdown periods.
- Socio-economic status and individual mental health indicators (depression, anhedonia, psychotic symptoms) were assessed as potential predictors.
Main Results:
- During the Chinese lockdown, reported decreases in emotional abuse/neglect, physical abuse/neglect, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence were more prevalent than increases.
- A significant increase in the prevalence of sexual abuse was observed 8 months after lockdown lifting (2.9%) compared to before lockdown (1.6%).
- Being male, experiencing depression, anhedonia, or psychotic symptoms were associated with a higher risk of sexual abuse post-lockdown.
Conclusions:
- The impact of lockdown measures on child maltreatment in China demonstrated short-term benefits but long-term detriments.
- Sexual abuse emerged as a significant long-term concern following the lifting of lockdown measures.
- Mental health status and gender are critical factors influencing vulnerability to child maltreatment in the post-lockdown era.
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new threat to child health and safety. Some studies suggest that social isolation and economic stress have exacerbated child abuse and neglect, whereas other studies argue that orders to stay at home are likely to promote parent-child relationships during this stressful time. Due to a lack of prospective studies including before-during-after lockdown assessments, the impacts of lockdown measures on child maltreatment are unclear.
Methods:
This study retrospectively investigated child maltreatment of 2821 Chinese children and adolescents from 12 to 18 (female, 59%) before, during and after lockdown, and identified risk factors. Potential predictors including socio-economic and individual mental health status were collected.
Results:
During Chinese lockdown, children and adolescents reported that the proportions of decrease (range 18-47.5%) in emotional abuse and neglect, physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence were greater than that of increase (range 5.1-9.1%). Compared with before lockdown (1.6%), the prevalence of sexual abuse significantly increased 8 months (2.9%) after the lifting of lockdown (p = 0.002). Being male, suffering from depression, state anhedonia, and experiencing psychotic symptoms at baseline were associated with increased sexual abuse after lockdown.
Conclusions:
The impact of lockdown on child maltreatment was beneficial in the short-term but detrimental in the long-term in China.
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