Methods

The objective of this study is to review and synthesize the extant research on and identify gaps in the literature. A scoping review is a “form of knowledge synthesis that addresses an exploratory research question aimed at mapping key concepts, types of evidence, and gaps in research related to a defined area or field by systematically searching, selecting, and synthesizing existing knowledge” [56]. Scoping review methods are a suitable choice for the topic of CPVA, as it is known that the available evidence base is limited [57]. The guidelines delineated in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist [58] were followed in order to strengthen the methodological quality of the review and adhere to reporting standards. This review was guided by the scoping review methodology developed by Arksey and O’Malley [57], which follow a five-stage process: (1) identifying the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) study selection; (4) charting the data; and (5) collating, summarizing, and reporting results.

As a supplement to the scoping review, a second component of the study analyzed a customized table from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey trend database made available by Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics. Descriptive analyses were generated on trends over timeFootnote2 and potential characteristics of the victims of youth violence (parents or siblings or both) between 2009 and 2021 and across the major regions of Canada. These analyses are being used to answer specific research questions and provide additional context for the incidence of CPVA over time.

Research questions

The scoping review sought to answer the following research questions:

  1. What research has been undertaken in Canada on CPVA? What data are available and what do they tell us?
  2. How do gender, race, ethnicity and other factors impact CPVA and how it is understood?
  3. Why has CPVA remained an under-reported/under-researched form of family violence?
  4. Which countries/states have developed protocols and practices for addressing CPVA? What do these involve? Are there any promising developments (protocols, programming) in Canada and if so, where?
  5. What is the role of the youth criminal justice system in addressing CPVA? Are certain Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) provisions particularly helpful in addressing these cases (e.g., s18, s19)? What are the challenges/limitations with addressing these cases through the YCJA?
  6. What has been the impact of the pandemic on CPVA in Canada and elsewhere?
  7. What additional research is needed? How could the key data gaps be addressed?

Scoping review methodology

Identifying relevant studies

In order to capture a comprehensive range of relevant research, a search strategy was developed that involved several different sources, including electronic databases, reference lists, and key journals. Researchers consulted with a social sciences librarian at the University of Toronto to develop a search protocol (including keywords) and identify relevant databases. Some examples of the keywords or terms used were “child to parent aggression,” “adolescent to parent violence,” “adolescent violence in the home,” and “battered parent.” Systematic search strategies, such as truncation symbols and Boolean operators, were employed to ensure precise yet exhaustive results.

Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of CPVA, databases spanning a range of disciplines (e.g., child welfare, criminal justice, psychology) were selected. The ProQuest, EBSCO, and Web of Science platforms were used to search the following five databases: PsycINFO, Social Services Abstracts, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Criminal Justice Abstracts. Following the database search, secondary search strategies were employed to identify any articles missed by the initial database search. This included a scan of the reference list citations from all full-text articles and research reviews, along with other scoping and systematic literature reviews to expand the scope of our findings. In addition, several relevant journals (e.g., Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Family Violence) were hand searched for related studies.

Study selection

The review process followed two levels of screening: (1) title and abstract review and (2) full text review. After duplicate studies were removed, records that contained our search terms in the title or abstract were identified by the initial screening process and assembled for review; this stage was completed by members of the research team who adhered to a set of inclusion criteria (described below). At least two investigators independently screened each article. Articles that elicited disagreement for inclusion or exclusion between two investigators (i.e., “conflicts”) were discussed until full consensus was reached. All articles considered pertinent by one or both reviewers were included in the next step for full review. At the full text review level, two reviewers performed independent assessments of the full text articles to determine if they met the inclusion criteria and represented a “best fit” with the research questions [57]. An online software program (Covidence) was used for the organization and facilitation of screening, reviewing, and extracting articles.

The inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed by the research team and refined iteratively throughout the study selection process based on an enhanced familiarity with the literature [59]. Articles were included if they met all of the following criteria: (1) original empirical work published between January 2009 and March 2022; (2) published in a peer-reviewed journal; (3) written in English; (4) study sample includes adolescents (ages 10-17); (5) CPVA is a central focus of the study aims or findings. Masters or doctoral dissertations, commentaries, editorials, theoretical papers, books, and book reviews were excluded. Materials that were not available online in full-text form were excluded. There were no geographical restrictions.

Charting the data

In order to extract and organize key themes and study characteristics from the full-text studies, a data charting form was created using Microsoft Excel. Preliminary variables that align with the central research question were extracted and recorded, including: the authors, year of publication, the study aims, population, location, methodology, measures, key findings, and practice or policy recommendations. Data abstraction was conducted by the authors independently and then compared to confirm accuracy; any major discrepancies were discussed and resolved collaboratively until agreement was achieved. These various sources of data constituted the basis of the analysis.

Collating, summarizing, and reporting results

In the final stage, data were collated, summarized, and reported to provide a narrative account of the results according to each research question. Per the standard scoping review guidelines, no attempts were made to assess the quality of individual studies [55]. Clear and transparent reporting of the scoping review was maintained throughout, including the researchers’ positionality and all critical decisions made.