The nexus between female unemployment and child abuse : the moderating role of inflation

Mohd Shahidan, Shaari and Abdul Hayy Haziq, Mohamad and Miguel Angel, Esquivias and Wen, Chiat Lee (2025) The nexus between female unemployment and child abuse : the moderating role of inflation. Economics and Sociology, 18 (2). pp. 38-55. ISSN 2071-789X

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Abstract

Child abuse has been a significant issue in Malaysia, with an escalating number of documented cases over the years. More than 2,000 children are reportedly abused each year in the region. Child abuse negatively impacts the community, as children who have been abused may struggle in school, have difficulty forming healthy relationships, and may be more likely to engage in criminal behaviour. This study investigates the nexus between child maltreatment and female unemployment in Malaysia, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) acting as a moderating variable. The employment of the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach enables the analysis to encompass the data on GDP per capita, CPI, child abuse cases, and female unemployment rates from 1989 to 2021. The findings reveal a strong correlation between inflation and child abuse cases, suggesting that rising living costs increase parental stress as families struggle to afford basic necessities. Additionally, higher female unemployment rates are associated with increased child abuse incidents, as financial instability and job insecurity create additional pressures on mothers. When women are unemployed and face economic hardship, they may experience emotional distress, heightening the risk of child maltreatment. Furthermore, divorce is also found to be a contributing factor to child abuse. These findings can be useful for policymakers. In particular, the government should implement policies that promote flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or part-time employment, to help women better balance work and family responsibilities.

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