@article{ref1,
title="Prevalence of child maltreatment in India and its association with gender, urbanisation and policy: a rapid review and meta-analysis protocol",
journal="BMJ open",
year="2021",
author="Fernandes, Gwen and Fernandes, Megan and Vaidya, Nilakshi and De Souza, Philip and Plotnikova, Evgeniya and Geddes, Rosemary and Holla, Bharath and Sharma, Eesha and Benegal, Vivek and Choudhry, Vikas",
volume="11",
number="8",
pages="e044983-e044983",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: India is home to 20% of the world's children and yet, little is known on the magnitude and trends of child maltreatment nationwide. The aims of this review are to provide a prevalence of child maltreatment in India with considerations for any effects of gender; urbanisation (eg, urban vs rural) and legislation (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012). <br><br>METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A rapid review will be undertaken of all quantitative peer-reviewed studies on child maltreatment in India between 2005 and 2020. Four electronic databases will be systematically searched: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and PsychInfo. The primary outcomes will include all aspects of child maltreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect. Study participants will be between 0 and 18 years and will have reported maltreatment experiences using validated, reliable tools such as the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire as well as child self-reports and clinician reports. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and the methodological appraisal of the studies will be assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality assessment scale. A narrative synthesis will be conducted for all included studies. Also, if sufficient data are available, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Effect sizes will be determined from random-effects models stratified by gender, urbanisation and the pre-2012 and post-2012 POCSO Act cut-off. I(2) statistics will be used to assess heterogeneity and identify their potential sources and τ(2) statistics will indicate any between-study variance. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As this is a rapid review, minimal ethical risks are expected. The protocol and level 1 self-audit checklist were submitted and approved by the Usher Research Ethics Group panel in the Usher Institute (School of Medicine and Veterinary Sciences) at the University of Edinburgh (Reference B126255). <br><br>FINDINGS from this review will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publications and in various media, for example, conferences, congresses or symposia. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019150403.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2044-6055",
doi="10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044983",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044983"
}