The rapid growth of digital technology has transformed childhood play, contributing to concerns about physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour among children. This chapter explores the relationship between online gaming and physical activity, challenging the view that screen time and active play are mutually exclusive. Drawing on contemporary research, it examines the cognitive, social, and developmental impacts of online gaming alongside the benefits of regular physical activity for health and well-being. The chapter highlights active gaming and exergaming as innovative approaches that combine digital engagement with physical movement and discusses the role of fitness gamification in encouraging active lifestyles. It also considers the responsibilities of parents, educators, and policymakers in promoting balanced routines. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the potential of integrating digital technologies with physical activity to support healthy and holistic child development in the digital age.
Awesh Khati, Anindita Das, Tashi Ongmu Bhutia et al.
Childhood maltreatment represents a major public health concern, contributing to an elevated risk of mental health disorders during adolescents and young adulthood (Taillieu et al., 2016; Edwards et al., 2003). While physical and sexual abuse and their effects on psychological and physical health outcomes have been widely studied, emotional abuse and neglect - which collectively constitute emotional maltreatment (Strathearn et al., 2020) - have been less researched, despite evidence suggesting that they may be similarly, if not more, damaging than physical and sexual abuse (Thomson et al., 2026). Indeed, emerging evidence demonstrates that emotional maltreatment is associated with adverse mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance use (Taillieu et al., 2016; Cecil et al., 2017). More recently, research has begun to examine positive childhood experiences (PCE), characterised by perceptions of safety, security, and support as a child, and their potential protective role in mental health. In contrast to childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM), PCEs have been associated with positive mental health, with adolescents reporting fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, and greater symptoms of resilience and flourishing (Xu et al., 2022; Jadhav et al., 2025). Moreover, researchers have suggested that PCEs may buffer against the adverse effects of CEM (Feiler et al., 2023). However, further research is needed to examine both constructs’ associations with mental health concurrently, as well as the mechanisms that may underpin these relationships. One mechanism that has received increasing attention is emotion regulation. Most commonly, research has identified the mediating role of emotion dysregulation; that is, childhood maltreatment has been found to predict deficits in emotion regulation abilities, which, in turn, are associated with poorer mental health outcomes (Gruhn & Compas, 2020; Miu et al., 2022; Thomson et al., 2026). A specific dimension of emotion dysregulation that has been identified as a significant risk factor in this relationship is lack of access to emotion regulation strategies (Rudenstine et al., 2018). This raises warrant for research to specifically examine how typically adaptive (e.g., cognitive reappraisal and acceptance) and maladaptive (e.g., expressive suppression and rumination) emotion regulation strategies are being used, and how these strategies may mediate the relationship between childhood experiences and mental health (Peter et al., 2026). In addition to understanding the relationships between childhood experiences and emotion regulation toward mental health (e.g. depressive and anxiety symptoms), simultaneously examining relationships with mechanisms associated with positive mental health, such as resilience, will establish a more comprehensive understanding of both the positive and negative outcomes associated with CEM and PCE (Jadhav et al., 2025). As such, the aim of this study is to examine the relationships among young adults’ experiences of childhood emotional maltreatment and positive childhood experiences, their use of emotion regulation strategies, and both mental health and resilience outcomes.
Parents face key challenges in digital parenting, especially regarding children's online games. Conscious, timely management of gaming time can mitigate many negative outcomes, but such measures must be grounded in moral philosophy. This study examines gaming time management through utilitarian and deontological lenses, showing that neither alone offers a complete solution. Utilitarianism focuses on consequences and child well-being, while deontology emphasizes dignity, rights, and agency. Using the reflective equilibrium method, we propose a promotional intervention process that integrates both approaches. In this process, parental involvement adjusts according to the child's age and abilities, gradually transferring responsibility to the child. The ultimate aim is to foster self-regulation and responsible decision-making in digital environments, while safeguarding the child's dignity and independence.
The contemporary digital landscape for children is shaped by the metaverse, with platforms such as Roblox serving as major virtual communities and social economies. Many children in middle childhood encounter online interaction through such spaces, which can support creativity and learning but also pose risks of excessive engagement and behavioral dependency. The World Health Organization recognizes gaming disorder as a clinical concern, highlighting the importance of responsible digital habits. Religious parenting offers a protective framework by emphasizing moral values, discipline and balanced technology use. This chapter explores how faith-based parenting strategies contribute to healthy child development and digital well-being, integrating insights from education and psychology to guide responsible media engagement.
Some of the concerns that the surfacing of online gaming and digital interaction among children create are addiction, social isolation, and cognitive and emotional development. This chapter ponders on the ways in which religious ways of parenting can not only provide ways of raising children healthily but also reduce the risks associated with excessive gaming. It examines the significance of moral direction, habit, value-based education and empowering family climate in the acquisition of digital habits among children and development of self-regulation. The chapter sheds light on how moderate use of technology can be encouraged; how spirituality and ethical standards can be combined with the effective approaches to the utilization of digital communications. According to the case studies, the religiously-controlled interventions proved to be efficient in reducing the screen time, enhancing family communication and promoting prosocial behaviors, resilience, and well-being.
<p>The well-being of the child is a common criterion in many Polish normative regulations pertaining to different branches of law. It is both a tool for the law-making and the executive bodies, employed to direct the law-applying bodies towards ensuring full protection of the child. This article is focused on analysing interpretative judicial discretion with respect to the well-being of the child as manifested in the judicial decisions of the Supreme Court and in the judgements of the Supreme Administrative Court and Constitutional Tribunal. In the course of the research, the author undertakes to determine the essence of interpretative judicial discretion in cases predominantly focused on establishing the current and postulated situation of the child with a view to ensuring the most favourable ruling for the same.</p>
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare provision and access in sub-Saharan Africa. Lockdowns and travel restrictions, coupled with fear of contracting the virus, disrupted services, especially for women’s and children’s health, derailing progress on sustainable development goals. This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine child immunisation coverage in Ethiopia and Kenya at both national and subnational levels. Methods Health management information systems data were used to estimate changes in child immunisation. Mean differences in coverage between the pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 were tested at a 5% significance level. Geospatial maps for coverage and differences between the two periods were created using aggregated proportions. Interrupted time series analyses provided counterfactual coverage assessments, assuming no COVID-19 impact. Results At the national level, minor short-term disruptions in coverage were observed following pandemic peaks in Kenya and Ethiopia, which were considered statistically insignificant. In Ethiopia, a subnational assessment reveals that full vaccination coverage remained relatively stable, with significant changes observed in the southeast regions of Somali and Dire Dawa. Specific vaccines such as BCG, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus 3 and polio (OPV3) showed considerable coverage changes in most regions except Oromia, Gambela and Sidama. Measles vaccine coverage experienced major changes across almost all regions of Ethiopia. In Kenya, full vaccination coverage experienced significant changes in eight counties, including Kisii, Turkana and Marsabit, with most Kenyan counties experiencing significant changes in measles vaccine coverage. Conclusion In conclusion, while routine immunisation services were mostly sustained with short-term disruptions at the national level in Ethiopia and Kenya, subnational levels experienced notable changes. The resilience of child immunisation was due to the implementation of community-based healthcare, mobile vaccinations and collaboration and partnerships for mass vaccination campaigns. The temporary disruptions were likely due to pandemic-related fears and supply chain restrictions.
Chifuniro Somanje Mankhwala, Chimwemwe Chifungo, Themba Mzembe et al.
Child undernutrition and stunting remain serious public health problems in Indonesia. According to the Health Belief Model, increasing mothers’ knowledge of stunting is fundamental to establishing accurate threat perceptions predictive of behavior change. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of factors related to maternal knowledge of stunting in Indonesia by addressing three questions: 1) How familiar with stunting are Indonesian mothers? 2) What antecedent factors do Indonesian mothers associate with stunting? and 3) What health effects do Indonesian mothers associate with stunting? A total of 3,150 mothers participated in structured face-to-face interviews. Study measures targeted four main variables. Mothers were asked: 1) Have you heard of stunting?; 2) Have you heard of shortness?; 3) What causes stunting/shortness?; and 4) What are the effects of stunting? Only 66 (2.1%) mothers reported having heard of, read about, or knew something about stunting. Approximately two-thirds of participants attributed stunting to hereditary factors. Interrupted growth (33.7%), idiocy (13.8%), and easy to get sick (11.8%) were identified as health effects of stunting. Results highlight the need for health promotion and education efforts focused on increasing basic knowledge of stunting, its causes, and its health effects among Indonesian mothers
Cougar Hall, Cudjoe Bennett, Benjamin Crookston et al.
Abstract Violence against children is an enormous global problem and one of the many adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that have long-term effects on children’s physical and psychological health. ACEs are more likely to occur in the context of poverty, multiplying family stressors and compounding consequences on child development. This chapter focuses on interpersonal violence within resource-constrained households and communities globally, including humanitarian settings. Family-based interventions have great potential in low-resource settings for prevention and reduction of violence, as well as promotion of protective factors to bolster resilience. Parenting and family-strengthening approaches have reduced harsh discipline and improved positive family interactions. This chapter reviews three specific examples: a parenting intervention in post-conflict Liberia, a family-strengthening approach for Burmese migrant families in Thailand, and a family therapy–based approach in Kenya. Future directions include development and evaluation of multilevel interventions that integrate family-strengthening approaches with multilevel poverty alleviation strategies.
Canada has welcomed over 100,000 Syrian refugees since 2015, many of whom have faced displacement-related challenges that shape their socio-emotional well-being. Refugee children, in particular, are at heightened risk for socio-emotional difficulties due to their developmental sensitivity to adversity, exposure to traumatic events, and resettlement stressors. Assessing children’s socio-emotional well-being often relies on both parent-reports and child self-reports; however, discrepancies between these reports commonly occur, and the factors influencing such discrepancies are not well understood, particularly in displaced populations. The present study examined predictors of parent-child discrepancies in reports of socio-emotional well-being and explored whether such discrepancies were associated with children’s learning outcomes. Participants were Syrian refugee children (N = 55, Mage = 14.42) who were resettled in Canada for an average of six years. Results revealed that children consistently self-reported more socio-emotional problems than their parents reported. Moreover, longer time resettled in Canada predicted greater parent-child discrepancies, suggesting that resettlement-related factors and acculturation influence parent-child discrepancies. However, child self-reports, but not parent-reports, showed limited external validity; while parent-child communication barriers may contribute to discrepancies, differences in how socio-emotional constructs are understood and reported by parents and children are important to consider. These findings underscore the importance of including multiple informants in socio-emotional well-being assessments and carefully considering cultural and contextual factors when designing assessments, specifically given the complex dynamics in displaced families. Future research is important to advance the literature to determine whether assessments of socio-emotional well-being should be adapted for specific populations, as suggested by the present findings.
Andrea De Bartolo, Yuying Huang, Hamza Qayumi et al.
