Abstract To examine the population prevalence of bullying victimization by peers and siblings reported in a nationally-representative sample of Australian adults. Australians 16 years and older participated in a computer-assisted telephone interview survey ( N = 8503) and answered questions about childhood bullying victimization perpetrated by peers and siblings. For peer bullying victimization, they were also asked about the duration of their experiences, and experiences of bias-based bullying victimization (i.e., bullying targeting identity characteristics). Overall, 28.7% (27.5–29.9) of Australian adults reported being bullied by peers and 11.5% (10.6–12.4) by siblings during childhood. Prevalence of peer bullying and sibling bullying victimization was significantly higher for gender diverse individuals and women (as compared with men) and for sexuality diverse individuals (as compared with heterosexual individuals). The most common experience was for peer bullying victimization to have endured for more than 3 years (56.9% [54.5–59.4] of those bullied by peers). Around 67.1% (64.7–69.3) of those who reported being bullied by peers experienced at least one type of bias-based bullying. Being bullied about weight or height (12.8% [11.9–13.7]) was more prevalent than other forms of bias-based bullying (race or ethnicity: 6.1% [5.5–6.8]; disability or impairment: 4.9% [4.3–5.5]; sexuality or gender identity: 3.8% [3.4–4.4]). Peer and sibling bullying victimization are common experiences of childhood in Australia. The prevention of bullying victimization remains a priority for creating safer environments for children.
Hannah J. Thomas, Ben Mathews, Jennifer Greif Green et al.
Child abuse in youth-serving organizations (YSO) is an increasingly referenced topic, but it currently has a limited epidemiological foundation. A body of research is beginning to shed light on this abuse, and this scoping review was aimed at better documenting what is currently known. The review specifically examined published and gray literature on child abuse in YSOs across several subcategories: daycare, detention/juvenile justice, healthcare, recreation, religion, residential, schools, and sports. A total of 112 academic papers and 28 gray literature resources were reviewed for the first 7 sectors, and a 2023 review was summarized for the daycare sector. Findings highlight that the definitions and measurement of maltreatment in YSOs vary, and significant research gaps remain. Some sectors of YSOs have better coverage than others: for example, more on residential settings and detention/juvenile justice, while less on healthcare settings. Recommendations include a need for: (a) more multi-sector YSO epidemiological studies measuring various forms of abuse; (b) modifications to general child maltreatment surveys to specify YSO settings and YSO staff and volunteers; (c) modifications to existing police or child protection data systems to allow for classification of abuse in YSO settings or by YSO staff and volunteers.
David Finkelhor B, Leanne Gast, Casey Cavanaugh et al.
Most school-based prevention curricula for young children fail to address multiple types of abuse and limit instruction to a single day, despite evidence that polyvictimization is common and children learn better when allowed to practice material repeatedly. This study utilized a cluster randomized control trial design to evaluate a multi-abuse prevention program, the Monique Burr Foundation for Children (MBF) Child Safety Matters®, based on varying lesson structure. Participants included nine Florida schools consisting of 843 children in grades K-2. Schools were randomized within cluster to implement in two lessons, four lessons, or after study data collection (i.e., control group). Lessons averaged 34 minutes ( SD = 8.8 minutes) in length for 2-lesson group and 23.6 minutes ( SD = 6.9 minutes) for the 4-lesson condition. Knowledge was assessed before implementation and on average 11 weeks after implementation. There were no statistical differences between clusters. Controlling for pre-test scores, schools in the four-lesson group scored highest on a measure of knowledge of potentially risky and unsafe situations ( M = 69.68, SE = .80) on post-test, followed by schools in the two-lesson group ( M = 67.31, SE = .77), followed by schools in the control group ( M = 62.92, SE = .76). Results support use of more frequent, shorter lessons for prevention programs and the promise of addressing multiple forms of child victimization.
Melissa A. Bright, Mona Sayedul Huq, M. David Miller et al.
Abstract Objective We compared the frequency of fearfulness for sibling versus peer victimization experiences (severe and minor physical, property, and psychological) in childhood and adolescence. Background Sibling aggression is not recognized as a childhood adversity. Yet a tenet of the family violence literature is that abuse is more fearsome when living with an abuser. Method Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of children aged 1 to 9 years and with adolescents 10 to 17 years old living with a juvenile sibling ( N = 7,029; 49% female) using data from three combined surveys of the National Survey on Children's Exposure to Violence. Results Fear of sibling aggression was less common than peer aggression. Further, sibling aggression was less fearful than peer aggression for severe and minor physical and property episodes. There was little variation by gender, ethnicity, and parent education level. Conclusions Children and adolescents do not lack fear from sibling aggression, but the fear is lower than for peer aggression. Implications A prevalent idea in the family violence literature that living with an offender generates more fear was not supported for sibling aggression.
Corinna Jenkins Tucker, David Finkelhor B, Heather A. Turner
Abstract Corporal punishment is associated with adverse outcomes; however, little empirical data exists about the state of corporal punishment in Australia. This paper presents the first national prevalence estimates of experiences of corporal punishment during childhood among Australians and its use as adults by Australian parents and caregivers. We also report community beliefs about the necessity of corporal punishment. Results show corporal punishment remains common in Australia. A high proportion of Australians (62.5%) experienced corporal punishment in childhood, including almost 6 in 10 (58.4%) young people aged 16–24. Approximately half of all parents surveyed (53.7%) had used corporal punishment. A quarter of Australians (26.4%) believe corporal punishment is necessary to raise children, 73.6% do not view it as necessaryThe use of corporal punishment and belief in its necessity are lower among younger people. Findings indicate the experience of corporal punishment remains unacceptably high in Australia but that the use of corporal punishment and beliefs about its necessity may be changing. These findings have significant implications for policy and practice in Australia. Changes in legislation could reduce this form of violence toward children. Relatively low rates of endorsement of the necessity of corporal punishment suggest the Australian community may be receptive to attempts for law reform in this area.
Divna M. Haslam, Eva Malacova, Daryl John Higgins et al.
Importance: Children and youth experience high rates of exposure to violence, which is associated with later poor physical and mental health outcomes. The immediate injuries and impacts from these exposures are often treated in emergency departments and medical offices. Objective: To characterize, using nationally representative data, the size and characteristics of the child and youth population being seen by medical authorities in the wake of violence exposure. Design, Setting, and Participants: The survey study used a representative sample of children and youth aged 2 to 17 years, from 2 waves (2011 and 2014) of the National Survey of Children Exposed to Violence, drawn from a mix of random digit dialing and address-based sampling. Interviews were conducted (1) over the phone with caregivers of young children or (2) directly with the youth aged 10 to 17 years. Data analysis was performed from September to December 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Violence exposures were assessed with the 53-item Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, which had follow-up questions that asked about injury and going "to the hospital, a doctor's office, or some kind of health clinic because of what happened." Additional questions were asked about lifetime and past-year childhood adversities and current trauma symptoms using the Trauma Symptom Checklist and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children. Results: The combined 2-survey sample had 5187 children and youth who reported a lifetime violence exposure, of whom 45.6% (95% CI, 43.1%-48.2%) were aged 2 to 9 years, and 54.4% (95% CI, 51.8%-56.9%) were aged 10 to 17 years; 53.6% (95% CI, 51.0%-56.2%) were male. Based on the full sample of 8503 children and youth, 3.4% (95% CI, 2.6%-4.4%) had a violence-related medical visit at some time in their lives. The rate of past-year medical visits due to a violence exposure was 1.9% (95% CI, 1.2%-2.7%), equivalent to a point estimate of approximately 1.4 million children and youth. Of those with medical visits, 33.3% (95% CI, 23.1%-45.4%) were aged 2 to 9 years. Those with a past-year visit had higher levels of trauma symptoms (risk ratio, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.44-2.03) adverse childhood experiences (risk ratio, 2.55; 95% CI, 2.34-2.78) and multiple violence exposures (risk ratio, 3.91; 95% CI, 3.22-4.76) compared with the general sample of children and youth. Conclusions and Relevance: The estimated large number of violence-related visits with medical professionals offers an opportunity to address a source of frequent injury, and provide counseling and referral for a high-risk segment of the population to treat and prevent further physical and mental health and social consequences.
David Finkelhor B, Heather A. Turner, Deirdre Colburn
In every country, the studies have established a prevalence of abuse far exceeding the scope of the problem that would be inferred from the number of cases that were officially reported. At this magnitude, it is clear that virtually any mental health professional is going to be dealing with many individuals who have been sexually abused, whether disclosed or not. The prevalence surveys have also given important epidemiological information about the distribution of the problem, at least as it applies to North America and to some extent Europe as well. Boys seem less likely to disclose for several reasons. Boys seem to have more of a peer ethic of being independent, and not asking adults for help. They are concerned about adults trying to curtail their freedom, which they fear will happen if they admit to victimization, which is something that normally happens only to girls.
This study examines the lifetime prevalence and distribution of family/friend homicide exposure among children and adolescents age 2 to 17 in the United States, and assesses the impact of family/friend homicide on emotional and behavioral outcomes, while controlling for potential co-occurring factors. Data were collected by telephone about the experiences of youth in 2008, 2011, or 2014, as part of the National Surveys of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV). Analyses are based on a pooled sample ( n =11,771) from these three surveys. Approximately 8% of all children and youth ages 2 to 17 were exposed to a family/friend homicide. Older adolescents, Black youth, those living in single parent and nonparent family households, those from lower socioeconomic status households, and youth living in large cities were overrepresented among youth experiencing family or friend homicide. Exposed youth were also substantially more likely to be poly-victims, experience other major adversities, and live in neighborhoods with more community disorder. Exposure to family/friend homicide was significantly related to trauma symptoms. However, when other co-occurring factors were taken into account, only family/friend homicide that occurred within the last 2 years remained significant. With respect to delinquency, only nonfamily homicide exposure remained significant with these other factors controlled. Findings suggest that family/friend homicide represents a powerful marker for a broad level of victimization risk and adversity, demonstrating that family/friend murder is often just one relatively small part of a more complicated life of adversity. Although recent exposure is certainly distressing to youth, it is the wider, co-occurring context of poly-victimization and other types of adversity that appears most impactful in the longer term.
BACKGROUND: Little population-based evidence exists about the characteristics of first disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA), including age and delay. OBJECTIVE: To generate population-based evidence about the age of first disclosure, delay to first disclosure, first recipients, and feelings of support. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The Australian Child Maltreatment Study collected information about CSA victimization from a nationally representative sample of 8503 individuals aged 16 and over. CSA prevalence was 28.5 %. Almost one half of these individuals (45.2 %) had never disclosed their experience of CSA before participating in the survey. Slightly over one half (54.8 %) of these individuals had disclosed before participating, and provided information about the characteristics of their first disclosure. METHODS: We generated national estimates for age of first disclosure, delay to first disclosure, first recipients, and feeling supported, and compared results by gender and age group. RESULTS: Among individuals who disclosed, 70.2 % first disclosed before age 18, comprising more women (73.7 %) than men (60.4 %); and with participants aged 16-24 more likely (81.2 %) than people aged 25-44 (67.8 %) and 45 or more (68.7 %). Among individuals who disclosed, almost half (45.6 %) first disclosed within a year; the median delay was 1 year and the mean delay was 7.1 years. One in 10 people aged 25 or more (11.1 %) delayed more than 20 years. First recipients were typically mothers (30.9 %) and friends (24.9 %). Most people felt supported (79.8 %), especially those aged 16-24 (87.3 %). CONCLUSIONS: We identified significant trends in CSA disclosure characteristics. Many people first disclose in childhood, often within a year. Yet, many only disclose in adulthood, after a long delay. While disclosure is becoming more common, measures are required to facilitate disclosure and supportive responses. Findings have implications for health, education and legal systems.
Ben Mathews, David Finkelhor B, Eva Malacova et al.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether children and youth disclose online sexual victimization experiences, who they first tell, and their initial feelings of being supported. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify prevalence of disclosure of two types of online victimization (nonconsensual sharing of sexual images of themselves; and online sexual solicitation by an adult); recipients of first disclosures; and feelings of support. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The Australian Child Maltreatment Study collected retrospective self-report information from a nationally representative sample of 3500 individuals aged 16-24 years; 7.6 % (n = 256) experienced nonconsensual image sharing; and 17.7 % (n = 576) experienced adult sexual solicitation; these participants provided information on disclosure. METHODS: We generated national estimates of disclosure of each experience. Disclosure recipients were assessed using 19 recipient types, collapsed into four classes. We assessed whether participants felt supported by this first recipient. RESULTS: Two thirds of those who experienced nonconsensual sharing of sexual images disclosed (64.3 %; 95 % CI 57.4-70.6), and three in five who experienced adult solicitation disclosed (59.2 %; 95 % CI 54.6-63.5). The most common recipients of disclosures were friends (nonconsensual image-sharing: 50.4 % 95 % CI 41.7-58.9 %; adult solicitation: 58.1 %; 95 % CI 52.3-63.8 %), followed by parents. Most felt supported on their first disclosure (nonconsensual image-sharing: 80.6 %, 95 % CI 73.6-86.1 %; adult solicitation: 91.6 %; 95 % CI 87.9-94.2 %). No significant differences were evident by gender. CONCLUSIONS: Findings have implications for stakeholders in supporting children and youth to seek support when needed. Findings can enhance the capacity of disclosure recipients to respond in appropriate ways.
Ben Mathews, Kerryann Walsh, David Finkelhor B et al.
