Table 3.

Implications of Findings.

Implications of Findings
Findings related to type of maltreatment	These can help practitioners formulate specific strategies to intervene for based on maltreatment type and the specific risks associated with those
Co-occurrence of risk	Many studies measured more than one risk factor and when delineating type of maltreatment and associated risk, it was clear that there is a high level of co-occurrence of risk especially for child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Interventions need to target multiple ecological levels bearing in mind the multitude of risks which may be present at each level
Less research on emotional and sexual abuse	Compared to physical abuse and neglect, studies focusing on parental perpetration of emotional and child sexual abuse were fewer. More studies need to be conducted to get a clearer idea of risk and protection association with these maltreatment types
Protective factors	Far fewer studies reported protective factors compared to risk factors. A more balanced approach in research can help mitigate known risk factors and aid practitioners in developing tools that can buffer multiple risks
Variations in terms and their descriptions across studies	Studies differed greatly in how they described certain maltreatment types (e.g., terms used for physical abuse were interchangeable with harsh discipline or punitive parenting) and in the description of certain risk and protective factors (e.g., social support was described as emotional support in one study and perceived availability of services in another). Uniformity in categorization, description, and definition can help aid research in the field of child maltreatment