Working Together towards a Child-Abuse-Free Society: From Imagination to Reality ()
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of
key research insights about child abuse and neglect, since the early 1960s,
with an emphasis on prevention science and practices. A narrative review of the
literature was selected to highlight the overall pattern of research findings
related to the prevention of child abuse and
neglect. This paper takes an ambitious goal of exploring whether working
together towards a society free of child abuse is pure imagination, a
possibility, a reality, or something else. The World report on violence and
health recommends a public health approach within an ecological framework that emphasises social-justice methods
as promising universal prevention strategies to end child abuse and
neglect. In addition, collective and coordinated efforts of researchers,
practitioners, policy makers, parents and caregivers have the potential to
change the current situation, and substantially contribute to stronger futures
where all children live within safer families and societies, free from abuse
and neglect. However, many challenges exist in the current global climate of
great social, economic and health inequalities. Nevertheless, this paper is
motivated by a strong hope that it is possible to globally eradicate child
abuse and neglect and emphasise that every child in the world has the right to live free from abuse and neglect, and to feel
safe, respected, valued and treated with dignity in public and family
life.
Share and Cite:
Hameed, M. (2021) Working Together towards a Child-Abuse-Free Society: From Imagination to Reality.
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
9, 416-433. doi:
10.4236/jss.2021.98029.
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