The impact of COVID-19 on Canadian child maltreatment workers.

Autor: Williams S; Faculty of Education, McGill University, Room 614, Education Building, 3700 McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2, Canada., Bruer KC; Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada.; Luther College, Department of Psychology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada., Evans AD; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A, Canada., Price HL; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Children and youth services review [Child Youth Serv Rev] 2022 Jul; Vol. 138, pp. 106492. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Apr 06.
DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106492
Abstrakt: As cases of child maltreatment become an increasing concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, the perspectives of those charged with protecting and supporting children and families is an important area of inquiry. We sought to examine the experiences of child maltreatment workers during the first wave of the pandemic (i.e., May-July 2020). We specifically aimed to examine child maltreatment experiences related to the following: (1) their work practices during the pandemic, (2) their perceived safety during the pandemic, and (3) their perceptions on the safety of the children and families with whom they work. A total of 106 child maltreatment investigators and forensic interviewers provided responses to a national survey disseminated across Canada. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected through a survey management program. The survey combined both open-ended and forced choice questions to gather perspectives on respondents' experiences. More than half (67%) reported a reduction in their caseloads during the pandemic (May-July 2020) and continued in-person interviews, with the use of preventative health measures (i.e., PPE, physical distancing, gloves). Most respondents reported elevated stress levels and similarly high stress levels amongst the children and families to whom they provide services. Overall, our findings highlight both how child maltreatment investigators have adapted to preventative measures and the continuing areas of weakness where further supports are required.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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