Child Sexual Abuse and Gender Violence in Adolescence

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2024) | Viewed by 8630

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Sociology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: socioneuroscience applied to the elimination of gender violence and child sexual abuse; successful actions in safeguarding; violence against children; dialogic reconstruction of memories of sexual abuse

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Sociology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: social impact of health research; gender based violence; healthy relationships and contexts; ethnic minorities and health; socioneuroscience
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The prevalence of child sexual abuse and gender violence in adolescence worldwide is alarming. The numbers are rising internationally, and the realms where this social problem manifests are very diverse: families, schools, sports clubs, pubs, parishes, NGOs, political parties, social media, etc. The health consequences of child sexual abuse and gender violence in adolescence are destructive regarding positive child and youth development, and as scientific research is already showing, they can lead to long-lasting negative health outcomes for the victims and their communities.

Considering this reality, this Special Issue aims to provide a scientific forum where to share, on the one hand, new advancements in the scientific understanding of child sexual abuse and gender violence victimization in adolescence and, on the other hand, empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods) on successful prevention and response to such violence against children. It is of interest how these problems take place in diverse geographical and developmental contexts, including educational, family, nightlife, ecclesial, and online settings, among others. Interdisciplinarity is particularly welcome. The goal is to update the state of the art and disseminate successful actions and evidence-based solutions that society can use to address and eliminate this violence.

Dr. Sandra Racionero-Plaza
Prof. Dr. Ramon Flecha
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. Children 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 2400 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 sexual abuse
  • dating violence in adolescence
  • gender violence in adolescence and youth
  • (effective) safeguarding policies and programs
  • prevention
  • successful actions in overcoming child sexual abuse
  • effective interventions
  • effective training
  • reconstruction of memories of sexual abuse and gender violence victimization in adolescence
  • social impact in safeguarding

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 334 KiB  
Article
When the Media Omits or Includes Scientific Evidence in Its Publications: Science and Battles on X about Child Sexual Abuse
by Ane Olabarria, Ana Burgués-Freitas, Ane López de Aguileta, Harkaitz Zubiri-Esnaola, Elisabeth Torras-Gómez, Mar Joanpere, Garazi López de Aguileta, Garazi Álvarez-Guerrero, Emilia Aiello, Cristina Pulido and Gisela Redondo-Sama
Children 2023, 10(12), 1857; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10121857 - 26 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1748
Abstract
Scientific evidence of social impact demonstrates how violence against children is successfully prevented. Currently, the scientific research on social impact has a focus on the analysis of actions that succeed in the implementation of such scientific evidence. This article is based on scientific [...] Read more.
Scientific evidence of social impact demonstrates how violence against children is successfully prevented. Currently, the scientific research on social impact has a focus on the analysis of actions that succeed in the implementation of such scientific evidence. This article is based on scientific research that looks at which media actions help or hinder the implementation of evidence-based actions to solve the most sensitive social problems. The social media analytics methodology has identified the posts and reposts generated during two consecutive days by news articles published by three newspapers about the official report on child sexual abuse in Spain. Their analyses have been made through communicative methodology, including voices of adult victims or survivors of child sexual abuse. The results indicate that media information that omits scientific evidence of social impact provokes battles between diverse ideological groups, while information based on scientific evidence of social impact generates consensus among people from different ideologies and actions oriented to overcome the problem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Sexual Abuse and Gender Violence in Adolescence)
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11 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
The Mirage of Upward Mobility: Conceptualization and Implications for Teen Dating Violence Prevention
by Lídia Puigvert-Mallart, Susana León-Jiménez, Mar Joanpere, Mimar Ramis-Salas and Ramón Flecha
Children 2023, 10(11), 1785; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10111785 - 6 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1889
Abstract
Alcohol and drug abuse are recognized risk factors in scientific literature that can leave female adolescents vulnerable to experience teen dating violence (TDV) in their relationships. These risk factors are highlighted in prevention campaigns, empowering girls to proactively avoid or decline situations that [...] Read more.
Alcohol and drug abuse are recognized risk factors in scientific literature that can leave female adolescents vulnerable to experience teen dating violence (TDV) in their relationships. These risk factors are highlighted in prevention campaigns, empowering girls to proactively avoid or decline situations that may put them at risk of such violence. This study delves into an underexplored risk factor for TDV, the Mirage of Upward Mobility (MUM), and its connections to previously established elements: coercive discourse, peer pressure, and the pursuit of status. A total of 146 relevant studies on TDV, and factors related to it, have been reviewed. MUM is conceptualized as the erroneous belief that engaging in relationships with traditionally dominant and disrespectful partners increases social status and attractiveness, although in reality, what happens is that that status and that attractiveness decrease. The study discusses the existence and factors contributing to MUM and underscores its importance as a risk factor for experiencing TDV to include in prevention campaigns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Sexual Abuse and Gender Violence in Adolescence)
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15 pages, 313 KiB  
Article
Child Maltreatment: Skills and Perceptions as Competencies in Higher Nursing Education
by Fadwa El Balghity Mouatadir, Jorge Pérez-Pérez, Benito Yañez-Araque and Sagrario Gómez-Cantarino
Children 2023, 10(10), 1607; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101607 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1038
Abstract
Child maltreatment is any action, neglect or aggression towards a child caused by parents, family members or others. The objective of this study is to find out the beliefs and attitudes regarding abuse among nursing students. Methods: This was an exploratory study with [...] Read more.
Child maltreatment is any action, neglect or aggression towards a child caused by parents, family members or others. The objective of this study is to find out the beliefs and attitudes regarding abuse among nursing students. Methods: This was an exploratory study with the aim of validating the questionnaire, made up of four dimensions. This questionnaire was administered during the 2020/2021 academic year to 370 undergraduate nursing students (first and third year), in Toledo, Talavera de la Reina and Albacete of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, in addition to resident nurses, master’s students and doctoral students during the first four-month period (September, October, November and December). A statistical analysis was carried out observing internal consistency for Cronbach’s alpha. Results: In total, 61.6% of the students concluded that the child was not responsible for maltreatment, and 41.6% thought that it was independent of gender. Furthermore, 65.7% stated that it is human nature for parents to care for their children, 74.1% considered maltreatment to be a crime in the family, and 15.4% said that it does not exist in higher social classes. A total of 23.2% said that those in nursing professions should not intervene in child abuse. With regard to Münchausen syndrome, there was less agreement among the participants, being unknown to the great majority of the students. Conclusions: Among the participants, a lack of knowledge about child abuse was observed, as well as the role of nursing in its detection. Subsequently, given the importance of nursing and its professionals in the detection and management of child abuse, it is necessary to implement knowledge and skills in undergraduate training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Child Sexual Abuse and Gender Violence in Adolescence)
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