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: Objectives: Parenting is central to children's optimal development and accounts for a substantial proportion of the variance in child outcomes, including up to 40% of child mental health. Parenting is also one of the most modifiable, proximal, and direct factors for preventing and treating a range of children's problems and enhancing wellbeing. To determine the effectiveness of new approaches to parenting intervention, and to evaluate how to optimise reach and uptake, sufficient funding must be allocated for high quality research. Method: We reviewed funding awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Australian Research Council (ARC) for parenting intervention research during 2011–2020. Results: Parenting intervention research received 0.25% of the NHMRC and ARC research budgets. Conclusions: There is a substantial mismatch between the funding of parenting intervention research and the impact of improved parenting on short‐ and long‐term child outcomes. To rectify this, it is critical that Australian Government funding schemes include parenting interventions as priority areas for funding. Implications for public health: Changes in allocation of funding to parenting research will support the establishment of evidence for the effective development, implementation and dissemination of parenting interventions to maximise health outcomes for children and their families., Parenting interventions play a central role in promoting and protecting the health, wellbeing and educational outcomes of children, adolescents and families, as well as preventing and treating difficulties when they [...]

Sexual harassment inflicted by adolescents on their peers is a major public health issue, but its prevalence across childhood is not known. We provide the first nationally representative data on the prevalence of peer sexual harassment across childhood, using cross-sectional data from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS). The ACMS surveyed 8,503 people aged 16 and over about their experiences of child maltreatment and associated health outcomes. The prevalence of peer sexual harassment was assessed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ)-R2 Adapted Version (ACMS), with survey data weighted to reflect characteristics of the Australian population. Overall, 1 in 10 (10.4% (95% Confidence Intervals (CI) [9.7, 11.3])) Australians experienced peer sexual harassment during childhood. Peer sexual harassment is an issue disproportionately affecting gender-diverse individuals (24.0%, 95% CI [15.5, 35.2]) and women (15.3%, 95% CI [14.0, 16.7%]), compared to men (5.0%, 95% CI [4.3, 5.9]). Rates of peer sexual harassment were also very high among sexuality diverse participants (prevalence estimates ranging between 14.2% and 29.8%). Peer sexual harassment was predominately inflicted by male peers (9.6%, 95% CI [8.9, 10.4]), compared to 1.8% (95% CI [1.5, 2.2]) reporting harassment from female peers. These findings have implications for understanding and reducing attitudes supporting peer sexual harassment in childhood, particularly against girls and gender and sexuality diverse youth, and associations with other gendered violence both in childhood and later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporal punishment is associated with adverse outcomes; however, little empirical data exists about the state of corporal punishment in Australia. This paper presents the first national prevalence estimates of experiences of corporal punishment during childhood among Australians and its use as adults by Australian parents and caregivers. We also report community beliefs about the necessity of corporal punishment. Results show corporal punishment remains common in Australia. A high proportion of Australians (62.5%) experienced corporal punishment in childhood, including almost 6 in 10 (58.4%) young people aged 16–24. Approximately half of all parents surveyed (53.7%) had used corporal punishment. A quarter of Australians (26.4%) believe corporal punishment is necessary to raise children, 73.6% do not view it as necessaryThe use of corporal punishment and belief in its necessity are lower among younger people. Findings indicate the experience of corporal punishment remains unacceptably high in Australia but that the use of corporal punishment and beliefs about its necessity may be changing. These findings have significant implications for policy and practice in Australia. Changes in legislation could reduce this form of violence toward children. Relatively low rates of endorsement of the necessity of corporal punishment suggest the Australian community may be receptive to attempts for law reform in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, many children experience corporal punishment. Most research on corporal punishment has focused on parents' attitudes and use of corporal punishment; however, other relevant parenting factors and practices have rarely been examined. This study explored differences among countries with various levels of progress toward a total legal ban of corporal punishment in parents' acceptability of corporal punishment, perception of parenting as a private concern, relationship with their child and parenting practices: consistency, coercive parenting, use of smacking and positive encouragement. Parents (N = 6760) of 2 to 12‐year‐old children from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom completed the International Parenting Survey, an online cross‐sectional survey. One‐way ANOVAs, and MANCOVAs (after controlling for parent age, gender and educational level), indicated significant country differences. Overall, there was no clear link between corporal punishment bans and positive parenting beliefs, practices and behaviours. The two countries where corporal punishment is banned showed different patterns. Parents in Germany showed less acceptability and use of smacking; however, parents in Spain reported the highest use of coercive parenting. Country differences suggest that beyond a legal ban, attention is needed on how to support parents to raise their children in a positive, nurturing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the relationship between health belief model (HBM; i.e., perceived threat, benefits, costs, and self-efficacy) and theory of planned behavior (TPB; i.e., attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control) constructs and parents' intention to participate and initial engagement (i.e., recruitment, enrollment, and first attendance) with a parenting intervention. Method: Participants were parents (n = 699, mean age = 38.29 years, 90.4% mothers) of 2–12-year-old children. The study conducted secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected for an experimental study of engagement strategies. Participants provided self-report data on HBM constructs, TPB constructs, and intention to participate. Measures of initial parent engagement were also collected (i.e., recruitment, enrollment, and first attendance). Logistic regressions evaluated the impact of HBM and TPB constructs, and their combination, on intention to participate and initial parent engagement. Results: Analyses indicated that all HBM constructs increased the odds of parents' intention to participate and enrollment. In terms of TPB, parents' attitudes and subjective norms, but not perceived behavioral control, were significant predictors of intention to participate and enrollment. When combined in one model, parents' perceived costs, self-efficacy, attitudes, and subjective norms predicted intention to participate, whereas perceived threat, costs, attitudes, and subjective norms increased odds of enrolling in the intervention. Regression models for first attendance were not significant and those for recruitment could not be conducted due to lack of variance. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the relevance of using both HBM and TPB constructs when enhancing parent intention to participate and enrollment. What is the public health significance of this article?: This study suggests that health behavior theories play a different role across stages of parents' initial engagement with parenting interventions. Both health behavior theories inform elements to be included when implementing targeted engagement strategies for each stage of initial engagement, particularly intention to participate and enrollment in parenting interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine associations between child maltreatment and health service use, both overall, by type and by the number of types of maltreatment reported. Design, setting: Cross‐sectional, retrospective survey using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire‐R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study); computer‐assisted mobile telephone interviews using random digit dialling, Australia, 9 April – 11 October 2021. Participants: Australians aged 16 years or more. The target sample size was 8500 respondents: 3500 people aged 16–24 years and 1000 respondents each from the five age groups (25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65 years or more). Main outcome measures: Self‐reported health service use during the past twelve months: hospital admissions, length of stay, and reasons for admission; and numbers of consultations with health care professionals, overall and by type. Associations between maltreatment and health service use are reported as odds ratios adjusted for age group, gender, socio‐economic status, financial hardship (childhood and current), and geographic remoteness. Results: A total of 8503 participants completed the survey. Respondents who had experienced child maltreatment were significantly more likely than those who had not to report a hospital admission during the preceding twelve months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–1.66), particularly admission with a mental disorder (aOR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.03–5.6). The likelihood of six or more visits to general practitioners (aOR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.87–3.02) or of a consultation with a mental health nurse (aOR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.75–4.06), psychologist (aOR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.00–2.88), or psychiatrist (aOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.25–4.04) were each higher for people who reported maltreatment during childhood. People who reported three or more maltreatment types were generally most likely to report greater health service use. Conclusions: Child maltreatment has a major impact on health service use. Early, targeted interventions are vital, not only for supporting children directly, but also for their longer term wellbeing and reducing their health system use throughout life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence in Australia of each type of child maltreatment; to identify gender‐ and age group‐related differences in prevalence. Design, setting: Cross‐sectional national survey; mobile telephone interviews using random digit dialling (computer‐generated), Australia, 9 April – 11 October 2021. Retrospective self‐report data using validated questionnaire (Juvenile Victimisation Questionnaire‐R2 Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study). Participants: People aged 16 years or more. The target sample size was 8500 respondents: 3500 people aged 16–24 years and 1000 respondents each from five further age groups (25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65 years or more). Main outcome measures: Proportions of respondents reporting physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence to age 18 years, assessed with the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire‐R2 Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study), overall and by gender and age group, and weighted to reflect characteristics of the Australian population aged 16 years or more in 2016. Results: Complete survey data were available for 8503 eligible participants (14% response rate). Physical abuse was reported by 32.0% of respondents (95% confidence interval [CI], 30.7–33.3%), sexual abuse by 28.5% (95% CI, 27.3–29.8%), emotional abuse by 30.9% (95% CI, 29.7–32.2%), neglect by 8.9% (95% CI, 8.1–9.7%), and exposure to domestic violence by 39.6% (95% CI, 38.3–40.9%). The proportions of respondents who reported sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect were each statistically significantly larger for women than men. The reported prevalence of physical abuse by respondents aged 16–24 years was lower than for those aged 25–34 years, and that of sexual abuse was lower than for those aged 35–44 years, suggesting recent declines in the prevalence of these maltreatment types. Conclusions: Child maltreatment is common in Australia, and larger proportions of women than men report having experienced sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect during childhood. As physical and sexual abuse may have declined recently, public health policy and practice may have positive effects, justifying continued monitoring and prevention activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate associations between all five types of child maltreatment (emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and exposure to domestic violence) and health risk behaviours and conditions. Design, setting, participants: Nationally representative survey of Australian residents aged 16 years and older conducted by computer‐assisted telephone interviewing. Main outcome measures: Associations between child maltreatment and the following health risk behaviours and conditions: current smoker, binge drinking (at least weekly in past 12 months), cannabis dependence (according to the Cannabis Severity of Dependence Scale), obesity (based on body mass index), self‐harm in past 12 months, and suicide attempt in past 12 months. Results: A total of 8503 participants completed the survey. All five types of child maltreatment were associated with increased rates of all of the health risk behaviours and conditions that we considered. The strongest associations were in the youngest age group (16–24‐year‐olds). Sexual abuse and emotional abuse were associated with the highest odds of health risk behaviours and conditions. Cannabis dependence, self‐harm and suicide attempts were most strongly associated with child maltreatment. Experiencing more than one type of child maltreatment was associated with higher rates of health risk behaviours and conditions than experiencing one type of child maltreatment. Conclusions: Child maltreatment is associated with substantially increased rates of health risk behaviours and conditions. Prevention and intervention efforts should be informed by trauma histories, and holistic psychosocial care should be incorporated into programs focusing on behaviour change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the associations between experiences of child maltreatment and mental disorders in the Australian population. Design: Population‐representative survey conducted by computer‐assisted telephone interviewing. Setting, participants: Australian residents aged 16 years and older. Main outcome measures: Mental disorder diagnoses of lifetime major depressive disorder, current alcohol use disorder (mild, moderate and severe), current generalised anxiety disorder and current post‐traumatic stress disorder. Results: More than one in three Australians (3606/8503 surveyed participants; 38.0%; 95% CI, 36.7–39.3%) met the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. The prevalence of mental disorders in non‐maltreated participants was 21.6% (95% CI, 19.9–23.3%; n = 851). This increased to 36.2% (95% CI, 33.5–38.9%; n = 764) for those who experienced a single type of maltreatment and 54.8% (95% CI, 52.6–56.9%; n = 1991) for participants who experienced multi‐type maltreatment. Compared with non‐maltreated Australians, maltreated participants had about three times the odds of any mental disorder (odds ratio [OR], 2.82; 95% CI, 2.47–3.22), generalised anxiety disorder (OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 2.48–3.97), major depressive disorder (OR, 3.19; 95% CI, 2.68–3.80) and severe alcohol use disorder (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.83–3.76), and almost five times the odds of post‐traumatic stress disorder (OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 3.00–7.07). Associations between experiences of child maltreatment and mental disorders were strongest for sexual abuse, emotional abuse and multi‐type maltreatment. The strength of the associations did not differ by gender. Adjustment for childhood and current financial hardship and for current socio‐economic status did not significantly attenuate the associations. Conclusions: Mental disorders are significantly more likely to occur in individuals who experience child maltreatment, particularly multi‐type maltreatment. Prevention of child maltreatment provides an opportunity to substantially reduce the prevalence of mental illness and improve the health of the Australian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the aims, design, methodology, and respondent sample representativeness of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS). Design, setting: Cross‐sectional, retrospective survey; computer‐assisted mobile telephone interviewing using random digit dialling (computer‐generated), Australia, 9 April – 11 October 2021. Participants: People aged 16 years or more. The target sample size was 8500 respondents: 3500 people aged 16–24 years and 1000 respondents each from five further age groups (25–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65 years or more). Main outcome measures: Primary outcomes: Emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exposure to domestic violence during childhood, assessed with the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire‐R2 Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study). Secondary outcomes: selected mental disorder diagnoses (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, MINI), selected physical health conditions, health risk behaviours, health service use. Results: The demographic characteristics of the ACMS sample were similar to those of the Australian population in 2016 with respect to gender, Indigenous status, region and remoteness category of residence, and marital status, but larger proportions of participants were born in Australia, lived in areas of higher socio‐economic status, had tertiary qualifications, and had income greater than $1250 per week. Population weights were derived to adjust for these differences. Associations between the number of calls required to recruit participants and maltreatment rates and health outcomes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The ACMS provides the first reliable estimates of the prevalence of each type of child maltreatment in Australia. These estimates, and those of associated mental health and health risk behaviours reported in this supplement can inform policy and practice initiatives for reducing the prevalence of child maltreatment and its consequences. Our benchmark study also provides baseline data for repeated waves of the ACMS that will assess the effectiveness of these initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the prevalence in Australia of multi‐type child maltreatment, defined as two or more maltreatment types (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, or exposure to domestic violence) and to examine its nature, family risk factors, and gender and age cohort differences. Design: Retrospective cross‐sectional survey using a validated questionnaire. Setting and participants: Mobile phone random digit‐dial sample of the Australian population aged 16 years and older. Main outcome measures: National estimates of multi‐type child maltreatment up to age 18 years using the Juvenile Victimisation Questionnaire‐R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study). Results: Of 8503 participants, 62.2% (95% CI, 60.9–63.6%) experienced one or more types of child maltreatment. Prevalence of single‐type maltreatment was 22.8% (95% CI, 21.7–24.0%), whereas 39.4% (95% CI, 38.1–40.7%) of participants reported multi‐type maltreatment and 3.5% (95% CI, 3.0–4.0%) reported all five types. Multi‐type maltreatment was more common for gender diverse participants (66.1% [95% CI, 53.7–78.7%]) and women (43.2% [95% CI, 41.3–45.1%]) than for men (34.9% [95% CI, 33.0–36.7%]). Multi‐type maltreatment prevalence was highest for those aged 25–44 years. Family‐related adverse childhood experiences — especially mental illness and alcohol or substance misuse — increased risk. Exposure to domestic violence was the maltreatment type most often present in multi‐type maltreatment patterns. Conclusions: Multi‐type child maltreatment is prevalent in Australia and more common in women and gender diverse individuals. Child protection services, health practitioners, and prevention and intervention services must assess and manage multi‐type maltreatment in children and address its health consequences across the lifespan. Public health policy should consider prevention services or strategies that target multi‐type child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low rates of participation in parenting interventions may undermine their effectiveness. Although a wide range of strategies to engage parents in interventions are described in the literature, little is known about which engagement strategies are most effective in enhancing parental engagement. This systematic review explores effective engagement strategies to encourage initial parental engagement (recruitment, enrolment, and first attendance) in parenting interventions for parents of children aged 2-8 years old. This review was conducted based on the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (Higgins and Green 2011) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Moher et al. 2009). Electronic systematic searches from January 1996 to August 2017 were conducted in PsycINFO, Scopus, ProQuest Social Sciences Journals, CINAHL, and PubMed databases. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria representing 1952 parents from four different countries. Of the engagement strategies tested in included studies (monetary incentive, setting, testimonial, advertisement, and engagement package), three strategies (advertisement, incentive, and engagement package) showed a significant effect on a stage of engagement, but none across stages. The low methodological quality of the selected studies limits their generalisability and thus provides limited evidence regarding effective engagement strategies to increase recruitment, enrolment, and first attendance rates in parenting interventions. There is a need for further, more methodologically rigorous, research evidence regarding how to engage parents more effectively in the early stages of parenting interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that social support and maternal self-efficacy are inversely related to postpartum depression; however, little is known about the mechanisms by which these variables impact on depressive symptomatology. This study uses path analysis to examine the proposal that maternal self-efficacy mediates the effects of social support on postpartum depressive symptomatology. Primiparous women (n=247) completed questionnaires during their last trimester and then again at 4 weeks' postpartum (n=192). It was hypothesized that higher levels of parental support, partner support, and maternal self-efficacy would be associated with lower levels of depressive symptomatology postpartum and that the relationship between social support and depressive symptomatology would be mediated by maternal self-efficacy. Results indicated that as expected, higher parental support and maternal self-efficacy were associated with lower levels of depressive symptomatology postpartum. Partner support was found to be unrelated to both depressive symptomatology and maternal self-efficacy. Results from the path analysis supported the mediation model. Findings suggest that parental support lowers depressive symptomatology by the enhancement of maternal self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined rates of mental health disorders and health risk behaviors in people with diverse gender identities and associations with five types of child maltreatment. We used data from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), a nationally representative survey of Australian residents aged 16 years and more, which was designed to understand the experience of child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence). Mental disorders—major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), alcohol use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and health risk behaviors—smoking, binge drinking, cannabis dependence, self-harm, and suicide attempt in the past 12 months were assessed. People with diverse gender identities who experienced child maltreatment were significantly more likely to have GAD (43.3%; 95% CI [30.3, 56.2]) than those who had experienced child maltreatment who were either cisgender men (13.8%; [12.0, 15.5]) or cisgender women (17.4%; [15.7, 19.2]). Similarly, higher prevalence was found for PTSD (21.3%; [11.1, 31.5]), self-harm (27.8%; [17.1, 38.5]) and suicide attempt (7.2%; [3.1, 11.3]) for people with diverse gender identities. Trauma-informed approaches, attuned to the high likelihood of any child maltreatment, and the co-occurrence of different kinds may benefit people with diverse gender identities experiencing GAD, PTSD, self-harm, suicidal behaviors, or other health risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]