Prevalence of Intrafamilial Child Maltreatment in the Nordic countries: A Review

There are differences in the prevalence rates of child maltreatment between countries, as well as variation in how these rates change over time. This review examined the prevalence of different forms of intrafamilial child maltreatment in the Nordic countries and possible changes in the prevalence rates over the past two decades. We conducted a systematic search of the databases PsycInfo, ISI Web of Science and PubMed and of self-report studies investigating the prevalence of one or several forms of child maltreatment in non-clinical samples published from 1990 to the present. In addition, we searched for unpublished reports. A total of 24 Nordic studies were included. The findings suggest a prevalence of child sexual abuse by a parent in the range of 0.2-1.2 per cent, a prevalence of severe physical abuse in the range of three to nine per cent and a prevalence of witnessing domestic violence in the range of seven to 12, 5 per cent in the Nordic countries. Markedly more girls than boys were exposed to sexual abuse. The results indicate a decline in the prevalence of sexual abuse by a relative and of parental physical abuse over the past 20years, but no corresponding changes in the prevalence of witnessing domestic violence. There is a lack of studies on the prevalence of neglect and emotional maltreatment. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages: Knowledge of intrafamilial child abuse and witnessing domestic violence in the Nordic countries is expanded. Prevalence studies not published in the international scientific literature are included. Time trends in prevalence rates are shown. Differences between Nordic prevalence rates and the rates found in high-income countries as a whole are explored and discussed. Attention is drawn to the influence of contextual factors on the prevalence of child maltreatment.