Social network sites SNSs are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together scholarship on these emergent phenomena In this introductory article, we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition We then present one perspective on the history of such sites, discussing key changes and developments After briefly summarizing existing scholarship concerning SNSs, we discuss the articles in this special section and conclude with considerations for future research

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques

http://www.iowaaces360.org/uploads/1/0/9/2/10925571/relationship_of_childhood_abuse_and..._1998.pdf

Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study

The world report on violence and health.

Attachment--and loss.

Objective To estimate the health and economic burdens of child maltreatment in China. Methods We did a systematic review for studies on child maltreatment in China using PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL-EBSCO, ERIC and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. We did meta-analyses of studies that met inclusion criteria to estimate the prevalence of child neglect and child physical, emotional and sexual abuse. We used data from the 2010 global burden of disease estimates to calculate disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost as a result of child maltreatment. Findings From 68 studies we estimated that 26.6% of children under 18 years of age have suffered physical abuse, 19.6% emotional abuse, 8.7% sexual abuse and 26.0% neglect. We estimate that emotional abuse in childhood accounts for 26.3% of the DALYs lost because of mental disorders and 18.0% of those lost because of self-harm. Physical abuse in childhood accounts for 12.2% of the DALYs lost because of depression, 17.0% anxiety, 20.7% problem drinking, 18.8% illicit drug use and 18.3% self-harm. The consequences of physical abuse of children costs China an estimated 0.84% of its gross domestic product – i.e. 50 billion United States dollars – in 2010. The corresponding losses attributable to emotional and sexual abuse in childhood were 0.47% and 0.39% of the gross domestic product, respectively. Conclusion In China, child maltreatment is common and associated with large economic losses because many maltreated children suffer substantial psychological distress and might adopt behaviours that increase their risk of chronic disease. Publication: Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Type: Systematic reviews Article ID: BLT.14.140970 Page 2 of 27 Introduction In the past decade there has been considerable growth in the analysis of the occurrence and consequences of maltreatment and other adversities in childhood. The maltreatment of children has been found to impair the current and future health and well-being of the children in every country and cultural context in which it has been investigated. The morbidity, disability and mortality caused by child abuse and neglect lead to substantial human suffering, social disadvantage and economic loss. In China, research in this field has a short history. There have been no national assessments of child maltreatment and only a few comprehensive provincial studies. However, the results of early descriptive surveys of child sexual and physical abuse and some more recent relevant data have been included in global and regional reviews. There has also been one systematic review that focused solely on the prevalence of child sexual abuse in China. There have been no comprehensive studies in China that cover all forms of child maltreatment, examine the consistency of the apparent impacts of such maltreatment on health and well-being or estimate the probable economic consequences. The paucity of official statistics on the incidence of child maltreatment reported to judicial, educational, health and social services – and on the economic costs incurred by such services as a consequence of such maltreatment – also poses a major barrier to the development of an effective and evidence-based policy for child protection in China. The purpose of this paper was to synthesize the results of previous community-based research on child maltreatment in China. We derived summative estimates of prevalence on emotional, physical and sexual abuse and neglect of children under 18 years of age. We also calculated the magnitude of associations between child maltreatment and consequent poor mental health and health-risk behaviours. We then estimated economic impact of child maltreatment in China. Our observations indicate both the extent to which this major cause of morbidity and disability has been overlooked in China and the research that is still required.

The burden of child maltreatment in China

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is committed to improving the justice system’s response to crimes against children. OJJDP recognizes that children are at increased risk for crime victimization. Not only are children the vic­ tims of many of the same crimes that victimize adults, they are subject to other crimes, like child abuse and neglect, that are specific to childhood. The impact of these crimes on young victims can be devastating, and the violent or sexual victimization of children can often lead to an intergenerational cycle of violence and abuse. The purpose of OJJDP’s Crimes Against Children Series is to improve and expand the nation’s efforts to better serve child victims by presenting the latest information about child victimization, including analyses of crime victimization statistics, studies of child victims and their spe­ cial needs, and descriptions of programs and approaches that address these needs.

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How the Justice System Responds to Juvenile Victims: A Comprehensive Model

The majority of state prosecutors (62%) in the sample that had worked on technology facilitated crimes against children had handled a sexting case involving juveniles, and 36% of prosecutors in the sample reported that they had ever filed charges in these cases. When charges were filed, the majority charged child pornography production felonies and 16% of prosecutors had sexting cases that resulted in the defendant being sentenced to sex offender registration. Research needs to continue to help prosecutors develop tools and strategies to deal with these complex crimes.

/pdf/sexting-when-are-state-prosecutors-deciding-to-prosecute-the-iqz8fftsiu.pdf

Sexting: When are State Prosecutors Deciding to Prosecute? The Third National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (NJOV‐3)

Recognizing the potential of classrooms as a context for identifying and addressing child victimization, several U.S. states now mandate the inclusion of child abuse prevention in school curricula. There are, however, a limited number of evidence-based and developmentally appropriate curricula designed for elementary. This study utilized a randomized control trial (RCT) design to evaluate the knowledge acquisition of children who received the Monique Burr Foundation's Child Safety Matters curriculum, a program designed to educate kindergarten to Grade 5 children about bullying, cyberbullying, four types of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect), and digital dangers. Participants included 1,176 students from 72 classrooms in 12 Florida schools across eight counties. Schools were matched in pairs and randomly assigned to receive the program or be in a wait-list control. Knowledge was assessed with a questionnaire administered prior to the curriculum (T1) as well as approximately 3 weeks (T2) and approximately 7 months (T3) after implementation. Analyses were conducted with class means examining grade, treatment condition, and time. The interaction of treatment and time was significant, F(2, 90) = 17.024, p < .000. Children who received the curriculum increased their knowledge about potentially risky situations, and this knowledge was sustained over 7 months to the follow-up assessment. Children in the control schools did not have similar gains. The current classroom-based child maltreatment prevention education is a promising strategy to address children's vulnerability to abuse and its consequences.

Child Safety Matters: Randomized Control Trial of a School-Based, Child Victimization Prevention Curriculum.

/pdf/the-national-juvenile-online-victimization-study-methodology-z251k09ucr.pdf

David Finkelhor

Papers

The burden of child maltreatment in China

How the Justice System Responds to Juvenile Victims: A Comprehensive Model

Sexting: When are State Prosecutors Deciding to Prosecute? The Third National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (NJOV‐3)

Child Safety Matters: Randomized Control Trial of a School-Based, Child Victimization Prevention Curriculum.

The National Juvenile Online Victimization Study: Methodology Report.