Publications by authors named "Meinck F"

Background: Little population-based evidence exists about prevalence of lifetime disclosure and non-disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA). Evidence is lacking about disclosure by girls and women compared with boys and men, and gender diverse individuals. It is unclear if disclosure is more common in contemporary society, and if disclosure is influenced by abuse severity and perpetrator type.

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Research suggests that the dimensions of childhood maltreatment (type, age of onset, duration, frequency and perpetrator) play an important role in determining health and wellbeing outcomes, though little information is available on these dimensions for any care experienced cohorts. This study aimed to determine if any variation in maltreatment dimensions were experienced between two subsets of the nationally representative Australian Child Maltreatment Study, both of which reported childhood maltreatment histories: care-experienced ( = 358) and non-care-experienced ( = 4922). Using a series of independent t-tests and chi-square tests, we compared the two groups on seven dimensions (number of maltreatment types, range of maltreatment items, age of onset, duration, frequency, perpetrator number, and perpetrator type) for the five child maltreatment types (physical, emotional, sexual abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence).

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Background: In South Africa, women disproportionately bear the burden of intimate partner violence (IPV), HIV or AIDS, and poor mental health.

Objective: This study investigated parenting practices among women affected by IPV, HIV and poor mental health syndemics.

Study Setting: The study was conducted in two sites, a peri-urban area and a rural area in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

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Little research exists on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-intimate partner violence (IPV)-mental health (MH) syndemic impact on parenting. The objective of this scoping review is to identify and summarize the available evidence regarding the syndemic relationship between HIV or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), IPV, and poor MH among mothers and caregivers who identify as women. We conducted the review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted from 2001 to September 2023.

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Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are increasingly used to address the challenges of living with HIV and engaging with antiretroviral therapy. A wealth of evidence supports the efficacy of mHealth in supporting living with HIV. Yet, there is a dearth of evidence on how mHealth improves outcomes, which features are effective, and why these work in a particular setting.

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Background: Numerous national public inquiries have highlighted the problem of child sexual abuse in religious organizations. Despite this, evidence of population-wide prevalence is scarce.

Objective: To provide the first nationally representative prevalence estimates of child sexual abuse perpetrated by adults in religious organizations in Australia.

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Background: Current evidence on adolescent participation in violence research has primarily measured distress, harm or upset using quantitative methods. There are relatively few studies which have employed qualitative methods to understand adolescent emotional experiences, and to articulate the experiences of participation from their own perspective.

Objective: This study aimed to assess adolescents' experiences of participating in research on violence in different contexts, namely Romania, South Africa, and the Philippines.

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Background: Children's participation in research is a rights-based principle. However, young children are often excluded from research on sensitive topics, due to gatekeepers concerns that participation would cause distress/re-traumatization and conflict with the principle of providing adequate protection from harm.

Objective: To provide evidence around young children's feelings, including potential distress, and beliefs in mixed-method interviews about violence and difficult experiences.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study explored the experiences of 20 women aged 22-60 from Mpumalanga, revealing a strong link between MH challenges and both HIV and IPV, resulting in symptoms like anxiety and depression.
  • * Coping strategies included religion, family support, and, frequently, alcohol use; the findings emphasize the need for holistic interventions that address the interconnected nature of these issues.
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This study aimed to explore key characteristics of the out-of-home care subgroup of a nationally representative Australian sample. To ensure that mental health services are appropriately targeted, it is critical that we understand the differential impacts of childhood experiences for this cohort. Using the Australian Child Maltreatment Study ( = 8503), we explored patterns of childhood maltreatment and adversity of participants who reported ever being placed in out-of-home care, such as foster care or kinship care.

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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.

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South African adolescents experience a high prevalence of violence victimization alongside the health and economic burdens of HIV/AIDS and poverty. Polyvictimization is a useful theory and framework that allows for a nuanced understanding of lived adolescent experience patterns. Polyvictimization examinations are further enriched by person-centered analytical approaches.

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Children's participation and inclusion in violence research, particularly in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts, is scant and not well understood. To assess how young children can be engaged in violence research, 4- to 7-year-old children were recruited into our pilot study in a rural area of South Africa. Six interviewers, recruited from the community, were trained to complete cognitive interviews ( = 24), interviewer-administered questionnaires ( = 21), and qualitative interviews ( = 18) with young children.

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This study presents the most comprehensive national prevalence estimates of diverse gender and sexuality identities in Australians, and the associations with five separate types of child maltreatment and their overlap (multi-type maltreatment). Using Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) data ( = 8503), 9.5% of participants identified with a diverse sexuality and .

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Australia, highlighting different classes of perpetrators and victim characteristics, based on a sample of 8,503 individuals.
  • The results indicate that the overall prevalence of CSA is 28.5%, with various perpetrator classes showing different rates, notably higher rates among known adolescents and parents/caregivers.
  • While CSA by adults has decreased, there has been an alarming increase in cases involving adolescent perpetrators, suggesting a need for targeted prevention strategies.
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Background: Violence against children can have extensive, long-term, and far-reaching adverse impacts on survivors and society. There is currently little consensus in the United Kingdom around the prevalence of violence against children: maltreatment, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, bullying, and community violence, and most existing studies focus on only a single or a few forms of violence. This study aims to produce data to highlight the current magnitude of the problem in the UK, to inform policy, drive action and allow for monitoring of progress over time.

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Background: Experiences of childhood psychological maltreatment have been found to be associated with various mental health outcomes, and this association persists into adulthood.

Objective: This study investigated whether some types of psychological maltreatment are more harmful than others; whether the harms associated with different types of psychological maltreatment are generalized or specific to particular domains of psychopathology; and whether the associations vary by gender.

Method: Participants ( = 544, 63.

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Arts-based methods are underutilized in violence research and may offer improved means of understanding these phenomena; but little is known about their value, especially in low-resource settings. A pilot study using a cross sectional sample was conducted in rural South Africa to determine the feasibility and acceptability of using arts-based methods in research with adults and children, in preparation for a longitudinal multigenerational cohort study on mechanisms that underly the intergenerational transmission of violence. Four arts-based methods were piloted with young adults aged 22-30 years (n = 29), children aged 4-7 years (n = 21) and former caregivers of the young adults aged 40-69 years (n = 11).

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Unlabelled: This paper presents findings from a pilot study focused on examining intergenerational violence in a three-generation sample, which included young children, in a rural area of South Africa. The aims of the pilot study were to investigate the feasibility of participant recruitment, consent, and interviewing; length and burden of the study questionnaires; appropriateness and acceptability of the measures used; and young children's (age 4-7) ability to comprehend the measures and participate meaningfully in interviews asking about violence. Data were collected for 4 months with three groups of participants, often within families (young adults, their children, and the young adults' former caregivers), using cognitive interviews, quantitative questionnaires, and qualitative in-depth interviews.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the link between child maltreatment and mental disorders in the Australian population, using data from a representative survey of residents aged 16 and older.
  • Findings reveal that 38% of participants met criteria for a mental disorder, with significantly higher rates among those who experienced maltreatment—21.6% in non-maltreated versus 54.8% in those with multi-type maltreatment.
  • Maltreated individuals have about three times higher odds for mental disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder, with no significant differences based on gender or socioeconomic factors.
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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.

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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).

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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.

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