ArticleJMIR pediatrics and parenting2026
Online Search Trends on Child Abuse During the COVID-19 Pandemic Using the Most Widely Used Search Engine: Retrospective Observational Study.
Article in JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundChild abuse is an important issue that threatens child development. The COVID-19 pandemic had psychological, social, and economic effects, and concerns were raised about a possible increase in child maltreatment.
objectiveThis study aimed to describe online search trends on child abuse in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study on the online search volume of terms related to abuse, such as "abuse," "psychological abuse," "physical abuse," "neglect," "sexual abuse," "I might become abusive," "I am scared I might become abusive," and "I cannot stop abusing," in Yahoo! Japan. Search volumes were compared with trends in the number of reported cases of COVID-19.
resultsThe number of searches for "neglect" increased during periods of social change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and when waves of the pandemic coincided with the summer vacation period. Searches for terms suggesting abuse, such as "I might become abusive" and "I am scared I might become abusive," increased in 2020 followed by a decrease from 2021 onward. Most of the searches were conducted by women aged 20 to 49 years.
conclusionsOnline searches related to "neglect" increased during periods of major social change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Searches suggestive of concern about perpetrating abuse were conducted predominantly by women aged 20 to 49 years. Online search data may serve as a useful tool for identifying trends in child abuse-related search interest.
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