Peer-reviewed article
The role of positive spirituality in preventing child maltreatment and promoting resilience: a perspective on policy and practice.
Van Tuyll Van Serooskerken Rakotomalala S, Anis K, Hillis S, Tucker S, Li X et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This perspective article explores how positive spirituality—including values like empathy, emotional regulation, and ethical decision-making—can help prevent child maltreatment and build resilience. The authors argue that spiritual approaches should be integrated into child protection work across homes, schools, and communities, and call for better collaboration between child protection and faith-based sectors. The paper provides actionable strategies for practitioners and policymakers working to prevent violence and promote children's well-being globally.
Key points
- Spirituality as a protective and rehabilitative factor remains underexplored in mainstream child protection policy and practice
- Nurturing spiritual values across the life course can contribute to violence prevention and resilience building
- Integration of positive spirituality should occur across home, school, and community settings
- Culturally responsive measurement tools are needed to assess the role of spirituality in child protection
- Strengthened collaboration between child protection and faith-based sectors is called for
Limitations
This is a perspective article rather than an empirical study, so it does not present original research data or evaluate a specific intervention. It cannot demonstrate causal effects or provide evidence of what actually works in practice.
Abstract
Child maltreatment remains a pervasive global issue with profound impacts on health, development, and societal well-being. While evidence-based strategies for violence prevention have expanded, the role of spirituality as a protective and rehabilitative factor remains underexplored in mainstream policy and practice. This perspective article examines how nurturing spiritual values across the life course-such as empathy, emotional regulation, and ethical decision-making-can contribute to violence prevention and resilience building. Drawing on recent empirical findings and global policy examples, the paper argues for the integration of positive spirituality into child protection and faith-based initiatives across home, school, and community settings. The article outlines actionable strategies for practitioners and policymakers, highlights culturally responsive measurement tools, and calls for strengthened collaboration between child protection and faith-based sectors. By advancing a holistic and values-based approach to caregiving, this perspective contributes to ongoing efforts to disrupt intergenerational cycles of violence and promote children's well-being in low-, middle-, and high-income countries worldwide.