Child Neglect and Abuse: Identification and Help-Seeking from Various Perspectives

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 4445

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Social Work Department, Tel Hai Academic College, Qiryat Shemona 1220800, Israel
Interests: subjective well-being of vulnerable children; child neglect from different perspectives; child maltreatment in the neighborhood and community context

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
Interests: youth development; at-risk youth; foster home care; residential treatment; young adults; resilience; future expectations

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Work, Sapir Academic College, Sderot, Negev 7956000, Israel
Interests: child abuse and neglect; CPS; decision making; foster care; out-of-home care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Child abuse and neglect is a multifaceted phenomenon that is shaped by different perspectives. Various cultures and ethnic backgrounds can have a particular impact, as well as different personal contexts, such as gender, age, race, and socioeconomic status. These different factors play especially important roles when it comes to child abuse and neglect identification and help-seeking efforts, since they involve aspects such as definitions and norms of risks, as well as community, society roles and institutes.

We are particularly interested in material on topics such as:

  • Different perspectives on child maltreatment identification and definitions.
  • Help-seeking patterns in different communities or from diverse perspectives.
  • Child abuse and neglect identification and help-seeking in under-researched contexts (e.g., formal and non-formal educational settings, medical settings, etc.)
  • Identification of neglect by various professionals or laypersons.

Articles reviewing the recent relevant literature, as well as those based on research conducted using a range of methodologies, are welcome. This Special Issue is intended to enable the community of scholars and practitioners to become more informed about how child abuse and neglect are perceived by different cultures and contexts.

Dr. Daphna Gross-Manos
Dr. Eran Melkman
Dr. Merav Jedwab
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • child abuse and neglect
  • culture
  • context
  • diverse perspectives

Published Papers (4 papers)

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: The messages of Child Sexual survivors for educators and the educational system
Authors: Sigad, L. I; Tener, D; Lusky-Weisrose, E.; Roe, D.; Katz, C
Affiliation: Sigad, L. I*, Tener, D, Lusky-Weisrose, E., Roe, D. & Katz, C
Abstract: *Introduction*The present study aimed to explore CSA survivors’ experiences of their abuse in the context of the educational system, and the messages they wished to convey to educators and policy makers. *Methods* The study was based on an analysis of 61 written testimonies collected in 2020-2021 by the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA to inform policy and intervention regarding CSA. Testimonies were analyzed based on the qualitative thematic analysis approach. *Results* Educators and the educational system alike, were central components of survivors' testimonies, having various expressions: the space for the abuse itself; as both barriers or sources of support for disclosure and treatment. Survivors stressed the need for educators to receive proper training to address CSA cases, recognizing their pivotal role in children's lives and for identifying and addressing CSA cases and educating children on sexuality, rights, and safety. *Conclusions* CSA prevention, identification, and intervention are complex processes within the educational system. As educational institutions, settings, and educators themselves are significant in children’s lives, they have a crucial role to implement policies, practices and sexuality education in order to enhance children’s safety. *Policy Implications*The current findings promote moving beyond individual-level interventions to focus on improving educational institutional climates and organizational cultures as they relate to CSA, in both national and international contexts.

Back to TopTop