Children Behind Closed Doors Due to COVID-19 Isolation: Abuse, Neglect and Domestic Violence

Sa？etak Abuse and neglect of children is a public health issue at a global, European, and Croatian level, with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. Actual circumstances of a health crisis generate and aggravate a series of risk factors for child abuse and neglect at the level of the child and parent characteristics, family dynamics and the wider social environment. Isolation and quarantine possibly leading to social exclusion, represent a serious risk for child abuse and neglect, possibly also being the reason for fewer reports. This paper reviews clinical and empirical studies related to the rates of abuse and neglect of children during health and other crises in other countries. It also analyses trends of recent data of the Ministry of Interior with practical guidelines for improved child protection in this period