0000000000595366
AUTHOR
Flavia Indrio
Children Witnessing Domestic and Family Violence: A Widespread Occurrence during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
Across the world, children and adolescents are exposed daily to toxic levels of violent behaviors, including domestic and family violence. Violence increasingly has permeated and profoundly affected the lives of children, who are the most vulnerable members of society.1 Pediatric societies in Europe and North America have raised great concern over the effect that abusive experiences will have on present and future generations.1, 2, 3, 4 The global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the past year has dramatically worsened the situation, contributing to a further increase in violence and aggression within households. Reports of domestic abuse and family violence have increas…
Increased Exposure to Violence and Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children
Exposure of children and adolescents to violence has significant short and long-term consequences in terms of academic, social, physical, and psychological functioning.1,2 The relationship of exposure to traumatic events, including various forms of violence, with depression, anger, anxiety, dissociation, posttraumatic stress, and total trauma symptoms has been widely debated.1-3 It is largely accepted that adverse early life experiences and abusive events suffered during childhood can cause profound effects on the development and function of the nervous system and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.4 Studies investigating the relationship between various types of neurodevelop…
Adequate Training and Multidisciplinary Support May Assist Pediatricians in Properly Handling and Managing Gender Incongruence and Dysphoria.
What we call “sexual identity” refers to the complex relationship between biological sex, gender identity and role, and sexual orientation.1 “Gender identity” means the unified and persistent perception of oneself as belonging to the male or the female gender or ambivalent. For many, gender identity coincides with sexual identity; traditional culture has long provided for the definition of only 2 genders, corresponding to the 2 biological sexes. The person with gender incongruence experiences a disharmony between biological aspects and gender identity, with the constant awareness that he or she belongs to the opposite gender and is imprisoned in a body that does not represent him or her. Ge…
Effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Family Functioning
More than a year and a half after the first clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China,1 , 2 the magnitude of the pandemic across the globe and its related clinical and social effects3 remain unclear.4 The pandemic has affected lives and sparked concerns about everything from health to job security. In high–Gross Domestic Product (GDP) countries, despite trillions in coronavirus aid released by governments, many families still struggle to pay for basic necessities like food and rent, and these difficulties worsened during the pandemic.5 , 6 The general social uncertainty caused by the pandemic seems to have also affected family resilience, w…