@article{ref1,
title="Using social media data for assessing children's exposure to violence during the  COVID-19 pandemic",
journal="Child abuse and neglect",
year="2020",
author="Babvey, Pouria and Capela, Fernanda and Cappa, Claudia and Lipizzi, Carlo and Petrowski, Nicole and Ramirez-Marquez, Jose",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen challenges that could forever  change the way societies prioritize and deal with public health issues. The  approaches to contain the spread of the virus have entailed governments issuing  recommendations on social distancing, lockdowns to restrict movements, and  suspension of services. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: There are concerns that the COVID-19 crisis and  the measures adopted by countries in response to the pandemic may have led to an  upsurge in violence against children. Added stressors placed on caregivers, economic  uncertainty, job loss or disruption to livelihoods and social isolation may have led  to a rise in children's experience of violence in the home. Extended online presence  by children may have resulted in increased exposure to abusive content and  cyberbullying. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study uses testimonial-based and  conversational-based data collected from social media users. <br><br>METHODS: Conversations  on Twitter were reviewed to measure increases in abusive or hateful content, and  cyberbullying, while testimonials from Reddit forums were examined to monitor  changes in references to family violence before and after the start of the  stay-at-home restrictions. <br><br>RESULTS: Violence-related subreddits were among the  topics with the highest growth after the COVID-19 outbreak. The analysis of Twitter  data shows a significant increase in abusive content generated during the  stay-at-home restrictions. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The collective experience of the COVID-19  pandemic and related containment measures offers insights into the wide-ranging  risks that children are exposed to in times of crisis. As societies shift towards a  new normal, which places emerging technology, remote working and online learning at  its center, and in anticipation of similar future threats, governments and other  stakeholders need to put in place measures to protect children from violence.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0145-2134",
doi="10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104747",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104747"
}