Child abuse and neglect in Brussels during the COVID-19-lockdown

Abstract

Background: It is likely that the circumstances during the COVID-19-lockdown in Belgium increased the incidence and prevalence of child abuse and neglect (CAN) due to exacerbated risk factors and new COVID-19-related stressors. However, traditional reporters had less contact with children which could lead to undetected cases of CAN.

Objective: Gain insight into the number and profile of CAN reports filed to the Brussels Confidential Center of Child Abuse and Neglect (CCCAN) during the COVID-19-lockdown.

Participants and setting: A dataset comprising 536 CAN reports from periods before (N = 442) and during the lockdown (N = 94).

Methods: Characteristics about the report, reporter, victim and his/her family, perpetrator(s) and the trajectory with the CCCAN were registered. The number and characteristics of reports during the lockdown were compared to those of reports before the lockdown.

Results: The number of advisory questions (p = .506, d = .377) and allegations (p = .095, d = 1.206) remained unchanged. During the lockdown, the risk assessment of advisory questions was higher (p = .011, d = .280), they evolved more into social exigency investigations (p < .001, φ = .246) and were referred more often to judicial authorities (p = .010, φ = .163). Allegations were filed more often by the helpline, police and judicial authorities (p < .001, φ = .590) during the lockdown and involved more Dutch-speaking (p = .016, φ = .166) victims.

Conclusions: The number of CAN reports remained the same during the lockdown but their profile changed.

Keywords: Child abuse; Child neglect; Covid-19; Lockdown; Maltreatment.