Fear of COVID-19 and parental violence: The mediating role of parental burnout and child perceived as difficult

BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a worldwide increase in the incidence of child abuse. Studies show that the pandemic context contributes to exacerbate several risk factors usually associated with the use of violent disciplinary practices. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to better understand the role of parental burnout and child perceived as difficult as a parental stressor in the link between fear of COVID-19 and the use of parental violence (minor and severe physical violence and repeated psychological aggression). PARTICIPANTS: The sample includes 467 mothers living in Québec (Canada) with a child aged 5 or less. METHOD: An online questionnaire, administered one year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Québec (March to May 2021), was used to measure parental violence, parental burnout, parental stress related to the perception of the child as difficult and fear of COVID-19. Serial mediation analyses were performed. RESULTS: The main analyses confirmed the indirect association between fear of COVID-19 and the three forms of parental violence studied, through parental burnout and the child perceived as difficult. Unlike physical violence (minor and severe), the association between fear of COVID-19 and repeated psychological aggression is explained only by parental burnout. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified new mechanisms that allow a better understanding of processes underlying parental violence during the pandemic. It also shows that parental violence can also occur in low-risk families. It is crucial to develop strategies to prevent the use of violent disciplinary practices in future socio-health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.