IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE CAREGIVERS’ VIOLENT BEHAVIORS TOWARD THEIR CHILDREN

Background: The surge of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic is reported as a global phenomenon. Until the present time, no published literature described the situation in the middle east. Aims: The current study aims to examine how the frequency of verbal maltreatment and physical maltreatment may have changed from during the lockdown to postlockdown in a sample of Egyptians living in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: The present study was carried out on 511 Egyptian families residing in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted over 2 phases with more than one month in between the 2 phases. The first phase during the period 10 April9 May, while the second phase was carried out during the period 21 June – 20 July when the respondents were requested for a second followup survey. The selection of those dates was based on the lockdown status in Saudi Arabia. During the first phase, the lockdown was almost complete or for more than 16 hours in the day. During the second phase, the lockdown was resolved entirely. Results: The current study revealed that the verbal and physical maltreatment forms were significantly more frequent during the lockdown periods (p<0.001). The child and the parents' age showed a significant negative correlation with the total physical maltreatment score (r=-0.008, -0.035), respectively. On the other hand, verbal maltreatment was correlated with older children (r= 0.085) and older parents (r=0.117). Conclusion: To conclude, verbal and physical maltreatment are aggravated by the lockdown and quarantine measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The forms of verbal and physical maltreatment didn't differ from those previously reported in the literature. The younger boys of younger parents are more vulnerable to physical maltreatment. It is recommended to pay more attention to preventing child maltreatment, protecting the maltreated child by establishing supporting centers to track and follow such cases.