Violence against children in early childhood and its consequences: an integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2025.83409Keywords:
Pediatrics, Child, Parents, Family, Child AbuseAbstract
Objective: to identify the types and nature of violence affecting children during early childhood and the consequences for this population segment. Method: an integrative review using the descriptors “Family Violence,” “Domestic Violence,” “Child,” and related terms, with searches conducted in the CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and portals, was conducted in February 2024. Results: among the 12 included articles, the most prevalent type of violence affecting children during early childhood was intrafamilial interpersonal violence, which can be psychological, physical, neglect-related, or sexual in nature. The most frequent consequences are related to children’s socialization. Conclusion: based on the types of violence identified, parenting emerges as the primary preventive strategy, highlighting the need to intensify efforts to promote positive parenting within public policies focused on child and family care.
References
1. Katz L, Amorim MM, Giordano JC, Bastos MH, Brilhante AVM. Who is afraid of obstetric violence? Rev Bras Saude Mater Infant. 2020 [cited 2024 Mar 13]; 20(2):623–6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-93042020000200017.
2. Oliveira SMT, Galdeano EA, Trindade EMGG, Fernandez RS, Buchaim RL, Buchaim DV, et al. Epidemiological study of violence against children and its increase during the COVID-19 andemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 13]; 18(19):181910061. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910061.
3. Riba AC, Zioni F. The child’s body as a receptacle of physical violence: analysis of epidemiological data from VIVA/SINAN. Saúde debate. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 13]; 46(5). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0103-11042022e516.
4. Comitê Científico do Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância. Prevenção de violência contra crianças. São Paulo (SP): Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal. 2023 [cited 2024 Mar 13]. Available from: https://ncpi.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Prevencao-de-violencia-contra-criancas.pdf.
5. Minayo MCS, Pinto LW, Silva CMFP. Our daily violence according to PNS 2019 data. Ciênc Saúde Coletiva. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 13]; 27(9):3701–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232022279.07532022.
6. Souza ER, Pinto LW, Njaine K, Silva A. Contribuitions to the literature on violence and health in 25 years of the Brazilian public health. Ciênc Saúde Coletiva. 2020 [cited 2024 Mar 13]; 25(12):4791-802. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320202512.20322020.
7. Mcmanus C, Neves AAB, Schleicher RT, Castro HCOD, Pimentel F, Pimentel D, et al. Brazilian South-South Scientific Collaboration and The Sustainable Development Goals. An Acad Bras Ciênc. 2023 [cited 2024 Mar 13]; (95):e20230492. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202320230492.
8. Whittemore R, Knafl K. The integrative review: updated methodology. J Adv Nurs. 2005 [cited 2024 Mar 20]; 52(5):332. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03621.x.
9. Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O'Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018 [cited 2024 Mar 20], 169(7):467-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850.
10. UNICEF. Estrutura metodológica da iniciativa unidade amiga da primeira infância. Fortaleza; 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/brazil/media/14181/file/estrutura-metodologica-iniciativa-unidade-amiga-da-primeira-infancia.pdf.
11. Goldstein BL, Grasso DJ, McCarthy KJ, DiVietro S, Briggs-Gowan MJ. Neurophysiological patterns associated with blunted emotional face processing and withdrawal tendencies in young children exposed to intimate partner violence. Dev Psychobiol. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 63(6):e22154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22154.
12. Rocha HAL, Sudfeld CR, Leite ÁJM, et al. Adverse childhood experiences and child development outcomes in Ceará, Brazil: a population-based study. Am J Prev Med. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 60(4):579-586. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.08.012.
13. Ziv Y, Kupermintz H. The effects of exposure to political and domestic violence on preschool children and their mothers. Int J Psychol. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 56(1):12-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12608.
14. Skar AS, Sherr L, Macedo A, Tetzchner SV, Fostervold KI. Evaluation of parenting interventions to prevent violence against children in Colombia: a randomized controlled trial. J Interpers Violence. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 36(1-2):1098-126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517736881.
15. Pu DF, Rodriguez CM. Spillover and crossover effects: mothers' and fathers' intimate partner violence, parent-child aggression risk, and child behavior problems. Child Maltreat. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 26(4):420-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559520985936.
16. Edler K, Lawson M, Speidel R, Valentino K. Intergenerational transmission of autobiographical memory specificity: Indirect effects through maternal reminiscing. J Exp Child Psychol. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 203:105021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105021.
17. Ma J, Lee SJ, Grogan-Kaylor A. Adverse childhood experiences and spanking have similar associations with early behavior problems. J Pediatr. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 235:170-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.01.072.
18. Karaca SN, Cicek AU, Isik CM, Kanak M, Demirel G. Evidence of the relationship between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and emotional abuse in a sample of preschool children, Child Health Care. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 51(3):336-53, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02739615.2022.2072311.
19. Fatemi MJ, Afrashteh S, Zahmatkesh S, Hemmati A, Fararouei M. Prevalence and determinants of caregivers’ self-reported child abuse among children aged 3–6 years in the South of Iran. Child Abus Rev. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 31(6):e2763. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2763.
20. Olecká I. Early identification of risk of child abuse fatalities: possibilities and limits of prevention. Children. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 9(5):594. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children9050594.
21. Lee JK, Marshall AD, Feinberg ME. Parent-to-child aggression, intimate partner aggression, conflict resolution, and children's social-emotional competence in early childhood. Fam Process. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 61(2):823-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12701.
22. Millán MCD, Moanack PMA, García LYP, Betancourt LKS. Domestic violence. A risk to early childhood development. Rev Colomb Cienc Soc. 2022 [cited 2024 Mar 27]; 13(1):77–101.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21501/22161201.3628.
23. Xiao Z, Obsuth I, Meinck F, Murray AL. Relations Between childhood psychological maltreatment and mental health dimensions within a higher-order model. Int. J. Clin. Health Psychol. 2024 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 24:100416. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100416.
24. Reingold OH, Goldner L. "It was wrapped in a kind of normalcy": the lived experience and consequences in adulthood of survivors of female child sexual abuse. Child Abuse Negl. 2023 [cited 2024 Nov 27]; 139:106125. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106125.
25. Li M, Yuan Y, Cheng X, Wang Y, Xu Z. Childhood maltreatment and insomnia in college students: the role ofalexithymia and psychological distress. Acta Psychol. 2024 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 243:e:104149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104149.
26. Hartman L, Greene HM. Acute presentation of abusive head trauma. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2024 [cited 2024 Nov 27]; 50:101135. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spen.2024.101135.
27. Laurenzi CA, Skeen S, Sundin P, Hunt X, Weiss RE, Rhoteram-Borus MJ. Associations between young children's exposure to household violence and behavioural problems: Evidence from a rural Kenyan sample. Glob Public Health. 2020 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 15(2):173-84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2019.1656274.
28. Ghanem N. The effect of violence in childhood on school success factors in US children. Child Abuse Negl. 2021 [cited 2024 Nov 28]; 120:105217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105217.
29. Berthelon M, Contreras D, Kruger D, Palma MI. Harsh parenting during early childhood and child development. Econ Hum Biol. 2020 [cited 2024 Nov 27]; 36:100831. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2019.100831.
30. Martín-Martín V, Romo-González C, González-Zamora JF. Frequency of malnutrition in children and adolescents with child maltreatment. Nutr Hosp. 2022 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 39(2):282-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20960/nh.03820.
31. Samson JA, Newkirk TR, Teicher MH. Practitioner Review: Neurobiological consequences of childhood maltreatment - clinical and therapeutic implications for practitioners. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2024 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 65(3):369-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13883.
32. Giotakos O. Neurobiology of emotional trauma. Psychiatry. 2020 [cited 2024 Nov 27]; 31(2):162–71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22365/jpsych.2020.312.162.
33. Hultmann O, Broberg AG, Axberg U. Child psychiatric patients exposed to intimate partner violence and/or abuse: the impact of double exposure. J Interpers Violence. 2022 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 37(11-12):8611-81. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0886260520978186.
34. Buisman RSM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Pittner K, van IJzendoorn MH, van den Berg LJ, Tollenaar MS, et al. Child maltreatment and parent–offspring interaction: a multigenerational extended family design. J Fam Psychol. 2021 [cited 2024 Nov 28]; 35(6):735-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000841.
35. Zhu Y, Zhang G, Anme T. Adverse childhood experiences, resilience, and emotional problems in young Chinese children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023[cited 2024 Nov 28]; 20(4):3028. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043028.
36. Olson, AE, Chow SM, Jones DE, Shenk CE. Child maltreatment, parent-child relationship quality, and parental monitoring in relation to adolescent behavior problems: Disaggregating between and within person effects. Child Abuse negl. 2023 [cited 2024 Apr 02]; 136:106003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.106003.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Aneís Louise Peres, Amanda Lacerda Bomfim, Márcia Helena de Souza Freire, Flávia Reis da Silva, Camila Miranda, Aléxia Séles Martineli, Natália Ertl, Renata Lima da Luz Pereira

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
When publishing in Revista Enfermagem UERJ, the authors declare that the work is their exclusive authorship and therefore assume full responsibility for its content.
Authors retain copyright to their article and agree to license their work using a Creative Commons Attribution International Public License (CC BY), thereby accepting the terms and conditions of this license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.en), which allows material created by the author to be distributed, copied and displayed by third parties. The original work must be cited and present a link to the article available on the website of the journal in which it was published.
The Copyright of the articles published in Revista Enfermagem UERJ belongs to their respective author(s), with the rights of first publication assigned to Revista Enfermagem UERJ, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons License CC BY, which allows sharing of work with recognition of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
The authors grant Revista Enfermagem UERJ the right of first publication, to identify themselves as the original publisher of the work and grant the magazine a license of non-exclusive rights to use the work in the following ways:
- Sell and/or distribute the work in printed copies and/or electronic format;
- Distribute parts and/or the work as a whole with the aim of promoting the magazine through the internet and other digital and printed media;
- Record and playback work in any format, including digital media.
In line with the journal's policies, each published article will be assigned a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.