Delphine Collin-Vézina

McGill University | McGill · Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF)

Accumulating evidence around the globe has strengthened the notion that COVID-19 and the related policy responses increased the risk factors for child maltreatment while dramatically decreasing protective factors in children’s and families’ lives. This alarming reality resulted from various contexts, a key context being the impact the pandemic had...

Childhood maltreatment is linked with later depressive symptoms, but not every maltreated child will experience symptoms later in life. Therefore, we investigate whether genetic predisposition for depression (i.e., polygenic score for depression, PGS DEP ) modifies the association between maltreatment and depressive symptoms, while accounting for d...

CITATION Brend DM, Olaniyan OS and Collin-Vézina D (2024) Residential childcare worker perceptions of work-related achievement and pride. Introduction: Multiple risk and protective factors influence the wellbeing and retention of child protective and youth justice professionals. Less attention has been given to empirically understand how residentia...

Objectifs. La présente étude s’inscrit dans une démarche de transfert des connaissances intégré avec un organisme communautaire offrant divers services aux mères de moins de 25 ans et à leurs jeunes enfants. L’objectif global était d’améliorer l’engagement des jeunes mères envers les services. Après une consultation ayant mis en lumière que plusieu...

L’agression sexuelle pendant l’enfance peut engendrer des conséquences importantes, et ceci se révèle d’autant plus vrai lorsque les formes de violence s’accumulent dans la vie des enfants. La recherche a permis de mieux comprendre l’influence de facteurs proximaux et distaux pouvant favoriser le rétablissement des jeunes victimes ou lui nuire. Par...

Cet article introduit le numéro thématique de la revue Travail social sur les approches sensibles au trauma (AST) dans les services à l’enfance et à la jeunesse. Les AST ont émergé dans plusieurs disciplines et services, dont ceux dédiés à ces clientèles, dans un contexte où les évènements traumatiques sont prévalents – dans la population générale...

Young people's voices detailing how they experienced engagement with the criminal justice system following child sexual abuse, what was helpful or unhelpful and how services can be improved to minimise secondary victimisation and maximise the potential for healing are largely absent from the research literature. This paper draws on semi‐structured...

Background COVID-19 significantly worsened already challenging circumstances for children and their families and globally increased the likelihood of child maltreatment. This risk heightened the urgency of child protection professionals in preventing child maltreatment and defending children's rights. The vast and growing body of research on protec...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous challenges for child protection professionals (CPPs). However, limited research has investigated the interwoven concepts of coping, resilience, and mental distress among CPPs during COVID-19 on a global scale. Objectives This study aimed to explore CPPs' practice, resilience, and mental distress du...

Background: Little evidence exists about the prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) inflicted by different relational classes of perpetrators (e.g., parents; institutional adults; adolescents), and by individual types of perpetrators (e.g., fathers and male relatives; male teachers and male clergy; known and unknown adolescents). Objective: To gene...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic triggered new risks for child maltreatment (CM) and exacerbated existing challenges for families and children, elevating the importance of child protection professionals (CPPs) while also adding barriers to their work. During the pandemic, many CPPs experienced increased workloads, a disrupted work environment, and...

Background Both prospective and retrospective measures of child maltreatment predict mental and physical health problems, despite their weak concordance. Research remains largely based on retrospective reports spanning the entire childhood due to a scarcity of prospectively completed measures targeting maltreatment specifically. Objective We devel...

Background: The longitudinal trajectory of Indigenous children within child protection (CP) services, including their recurrent involvement, has yet to be documented. Objectives: 1) To document whether First Nations children were at increased risk of a first recurrence of post-investigation CP services compared to children from the majority grou...

Background: Both prospective and retrospective measures of child maltreatment predict mental health problems, despite their weak concordance. Research remains largely based on retrospective reports spanning the entire childhood due to a scarcity of prospectively completed questionnaires targeting maltreatment specifically. Objective: We developed a...

Youth engagement in research, which involves meaningfully collaborating with youth as full partners in the research process, has contributed to improved research collaborations, enhanced youth participation, and increased motivation for researchers to address scientific questions relevant to youth. Engaging youth as partners in the research process...

This study brings forward new evidence regarding child protection (CP) intervention for First Nations children and contributes to a longitudinal understanding of their trajectories within CP services. It raises questions regarding the persisting, unmet needs of First Nations children, families, and communities by identifying the CP factors associat...

Shame has been recognized as a barrier to child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosures, but there has been less focus on the impact of shame on post-disclosure. This study explores how shame is experienced by CSA survivors following disclosure. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven CSA survivors aged 14-25 years on their CSA disclosure expe...

Background Child protection workers (CPWs) are exposed to physical and psychological violence initiated by clients. The consequences associated with exposure to this type of trauma and others are compounded by the anxiety generated by the feelings of being accountable and the constant scrutiny and monitoring CPWs are under. Previous research sugges...

Ce chapitre traite de l’importance des approches sensibles aux trau- mas dans l’accompagnement des jeunes auteurs de délits. Il débute par une brève description de l’importance des liens entre la délin- quance à l’adolescence et les expériences traumatiques. Il aborde par la suite les principes des approches sensibles aux traumas. Enfin, il présent...

This Viewpoint aims to question the value of compliance-oriented programs’ principles as they apply to traumatized children and youth.

Cette étude qualitative vise à documenter les perceptions et les réactions des intervenants du réseau des services sociaux à l’enfance, jeunesse, famille face aux conséquences de la pandémie de COVID-19. Entre la 3e et la 4e vague de la pandémie au Québec, 11 intervenants, incluant deux gestionnaires, ont pris part à des groupes de discussion. Les...

Longitudinal studies have shown that children with complex trauma (i.e., exposure to multiple or repeated traumatic events of an interpersonal nature) have poorer cognitive outcomes later in life than children without complex trauma. This association may be moderated by the timing of the trauma, which may explain, in part, some heterogeneity in the...

Background Health and social service providers receive limited education on recognizing and responding to family violence. With adequate education, providers could be prepared to identify individuals subjected to family violence and help reduce the risk of associated impairment. Informed by the Active Implementation Frameworks, our research will de...

Background: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) contributes to depression in several populations. However, there is a significant lack of longitudinal research on depressive symptoms among sexually abused adolescents involved in Child Protection Services (CPS). Given the systemic challenges in CPS research, it is also unclear as to whether depressive sym...

This researcher perspective is part of the fifth edition of Complex Trauma Perspectives, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies' Complex Trauma SIG newsletter.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures have caused important disruptions in economies and labour markets, changed the way we work and socialise, forced schools to close and healthcare and social services to reorganise. This unprecedented crisis forces individuals to make considerable efforts to adapt and will have...

Background Alongside deficits in children's wellbeing, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an elevated risk for child maltreatment and challenges for child protective services worldwide. Therefore, some children might be doubly marginalized, as prior inequalities become exacerbated and new risk factors arise. Objective To provide initial insight int...

This article reviews the empirical evidence gathered in the past 2 years on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health for children and youth. Grounded in a social justice framework, this review highlights that all are not equal in the face of the pandemic, and that children, youth and families living in precarious contexts have been impa...

Epidemiological surveys measuring the prevalence of child maltreatment generate essential knowledge that is required to enhance human rights, promote gender equality, and reduce child abuse and neglect and its effects. Yet, evidence suggests Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) may assess the risk of these studies using higher than normal thresholds,...

Background A year has passed since COVID-19 began disrupting systems. Although children are not considered a risk population for the virus, there is accumulating knowledge regarding children's escalating risk for maltreatment during the pandemic. Objective The current study is part of a larger initiative using an international platform to examine...

Background Little is known about the benefits of implementing trauma-informed care (TIC) training programs for child welfare workers serving in out-of-home treatment settings, or about how staff, child and youth characteristics affect adoption of favorable attitudes towards TIC. Objective This study aimed to understand how attitudes towards TIC...

Background Many adolescents in group care have experienced higher rates of traumatic event exposure, behavior problems, and severe trauma sequelae compared to those outside of group care. Yet, little research has examined from a person-centered perspective their diverse trauma profiles and corresponding service needs. Objective This exploratory st...

Dans cet article, nous proposons de discuter la manière dont le trauma complexe peut offrir un cadre conceptuel guidant l’intervention auprès des enfants et adolescents ayant de multiples besoins. L’article débute par une présentation du trauma complexe, de même que des liens entre le trauma complexe, la santé mentale et le fonctionnement psycholog...

Background Residential childcare workers (RCWs) in child welfare and youth-justice settings are at risk of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and moral distress. Workplace support has been shown to be protective against work-related harms for some helping professionals and a lack of workplace support has been cited as a contributing factor toward...

This study aimed to assess whether, and to what extent, the commercial sexual exploitation of female adolescents placed in residential care predicted different manifestations of an altered sense of self in emerging adulthood while considering the possible confounding effects of child maltreatment and perceived stigmatization. Data were gathered in...

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been described as a highly stigmatizing experience. Despite the recognition of shame as a significant contributor to psychological distress following CSA, an inhibitor of CSA disclosure, and a challenging emotion to overcome in therapy, limited research has explored the experience of shame with young people who have bee...

Trauma-informed care (TIC) is receiving growing interest and support as a promising approach to reducing the use of restrictive measures (restraints, seclusions and time-outs) in children and youth living in residential care. In this study, we aimed to compare the use of restrictive measures prior to and following the implementation of a TIC staff...

Les enfants et les adolescents hébergés en centre de réadaptation (CR) ou en foyer de groupe (FG) constituent une population vulnérable chez qui l’utilisation de mesures restrictives, telles que la contention, l’isolement ou le retrait est préoccupante. L’objectif général de la présente étude est de mieux comprendre l’utilisation de ces mesures afi...

Background COVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic impacting child protection services (CPSs) in many countries. With quarantine and social distancing restrictions, school closures, and recreational venues suspended or providing reduced access, the social safety net for violence prevention has been disrupted significantly. Impacts include the conc...

The COVID-19 worldwide pandemic has forced individuals into an unnatural way of life. Families with children experience unique stressors, such as school closures, disrupted childcare arrangements, requirement of parents to uptake additional responsibilities such as homeschooling, possible financial strain, and lack of breathing space between family...

Background Meta-analyses have confirmed an association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and non-suicidal and suicidal self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB), yet the mechanisms linking these factors are, to date, poorly understood. The goal of the current study is to explore one potential influencing factor acting in the association between C...

This study examines whether increased interaction and observation of young children by school professionals leads to an increase in school-based reports to child welfare authorities and in the identification of child maltreatment victims. Comparing provincial-level data collected before and after full-day kindergarten implementation in Ontario, a d...

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global human rights violation and a public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young children in Malawi can be particularly at risk because of gender-based power imbalances. The objectives of this study were to examine the...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation measures taken to control it has caused important disruptions in economies and labour markets, changed the way we work and socialize, forced schools to close and healthcare and social services to reorganize in order to redirect resources on the pandemic response. This unprecedented crisis forces in...

Exposures to traumatic stressors occur at extremely high rates among children and youth Involved with child welfare/ youth justice systems, and traumatic stressors can result in secondary traumatic stress among associated professionals. To date, Canadian TIC (I.e., trauma-informed care) initiatives have largely developed in isolation resulting in t...

Twenty years ago, findings from the Adverse Childhood Experience study revealed that experiences of child maltreatment and family dysfunction were far more prevalent in the general population than previously known. It also drew attention to the impact of these experiences on later health, mental health and functional impairments in adulthood, which...

Introduction : Les enfants qui ont un vécu des traumas complexes sont à risque de développer de graves difficultés d’attachement, d’autorégulation et de comportement. Des études exploratoires démontrent que la pratique du yoga permet d’améliorer leur fonctionnement et diminuer leurs symptômes d’internalisation et d’externalisation. Objectifs : Le p...

Background: There is increasing recognition of the need to integrate trauma-informed care (TIC) into child welfare practices, given the high rates of trauma experiences among children and youth across these settings. The implementation of TIC is facilitated by various elements, including worker attitudes, yet further research is needed to illuminat...

Objectives: This article presents the theoretical basis, initial deployment strategies, and resulting preliminary findings of a program implemented in residential treatment centres (RCs) in child welfare. "Program Penguin" aimed to help workers develop trauma-informed attitudes and implement trauma-informed practices, make the workplace more respon...

Background Many children and youth living in residential units have experienced multiple traumas that may result in challenging behaviors. Among a range of professional responses, staff may use restraint, seclusion and time-out to manage these behaviors. Objective To enhance our understanding of these restrictive interventions in residential units...

Background: Pandemics have a wide range of economic, health and social consequences related to both the spread of a disease and efforts made by government leaders to contain it which may be particularly detrimental for the child welfare-involved population. This is because child welfare agencies serve some of the highest needs children and familie...

Background: Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years in Malawi, and especially among those from rural areas of central Malawi. The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence and determinants of malaria infection among children in rural areas of Dowa district in central Malawi. Methods: A multistage...

CONTEXT Evidence from the COVID-19 crisis suggests that children and youth are more likely to be subjected to maltreatment and exposure to family violence, while experiencing limited access to the usual services that support vulnerable families and provide targeted services to meet their needs. The current global pandemic itself can also be experie...

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented disruptions and stress in the lives of children and families internationally. Heightened family stress and turmoil can increase risk for child maltreatment. As a result, child maltreatment experts are concerned that there will be an influx of children requiring trauma assessment and treatment d...

We describe an ontological approach to childhood studies that we refer to as Childhood Ethics. This involves an interdisciplinary hermeneutic orientation towards examining the morally meaningful dimensions of matters that affect young people. We draw on our empirical research with young people from 3‐ to 17‐years old, examining their experiences in...

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is a landmark study conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the first large scale, non-clinical study to document ten categories of adversity in childhood (covering both child maltreatment experiences and household challenges) and to assess their relatio...

The process of disclosing childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is very difficult for young people. Researchers have consistently found that young people disclose CSA to other youth at much higher rates than to familiar adults or authorities and indicate that CSA remains largely unknown to adults. However, no study to date has focused exclusively on underst...

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a pervasive and significant public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young children in Malawi can be particularly at risk because of gender-based power imbalances. The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalen...

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global human rights violation and a public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young children in Malawi can be particularly at risk because of gender-based power imbalances. The objectives of this study were to examine the...

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global human rights violation and a public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young children in Malawi can be particularly at risk because of gender-based power imbalances. The objectives of this study were to examine the...

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global human rights violation and a public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young children in Malawi can be particularly at risk because of gender-based power imbalances. The objectives of this study were to examine the...

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global human rights violation and a public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young children in Malawi can be particularly at risk because of gender-based power imbalances. The objectives of this study were to examine the...

La pandémie, et les crises en général, accroissent le risque de maltraitance et d'exposition à la violence pour les enfants. Dans son analyse de l'actuelle pandémie de la COVID-19, l'UNICEF a recensé plusieurs effets secondaires potentiels sur les enfants et les adolescents, notamment le risque accru d'expériences de maltraitance et d'exposition à...

Child maltreatment constitutes all forms of child abuse including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power. Child maltreatment represents one of the most influential determinants...

Traumatic or adverse experiences are pervasive among school-aged children and youth. These experiences undermine students’ ability to learn, form relationships, and manage their feelings and behavior. Meanwhile, educators and school-based professionals often remain unaware of the complex needs of their students or how to meet them within the hours...