{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T17:10:06Z","timestamp":1775841006368,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":77,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757980800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Child maltreatment remains a pervasive global issue with profound impacts on health, development, and societal well-being. While evidence-based strategies for violence prevention have expanded, the role of spirituality as a protective and rehabilitative factor remains underexplored in mainstream policy and practice. This perspective article examines how nurturing spiritual values across the life course\u2014such as empathy, emotional regulation, and ethical decision-making\u2014can contribute to violence prevention and resilience building. Drawing on recent empirical findings and global policy examples, the paper argues for the integration of positive spirituality into child protection and faith-based initiatives across home, school, and community settings. The article outlines actionable strategies for practitioners and policymakers, highlights culturally responsive measurement tools, and calls for strengthened collaboration between child protection and faith-based sectors. By advancing a holistic and values-based approach to caregiving, this perspective contributes to ongoing efforts to disrupt intergenerational cycles of violence and promote children\u2019s well-being in low-, middle-, and high-income countries worldwide.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1656760","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]],"date-time":"2025-09-16T05:34:19Z","timestamp":1758000859000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The role of positive spirituality in preventing child maltreatment and promoting resilience: a perspective on policy and practice"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Sabine","family":"Van Tuyll Van Serooskerken Rakotomalala","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katy","family":"Anis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Susan","family":"Hillis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sydney","family":"Tucker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaoan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marijn","family":"Stok","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2015-4079","article-title":"Global prevalence of past-year violence against children: a systematic review and minimum estimates","volume":"137","author":"Hillis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(02)11133-0","volume-title":"World report on violence and health","author":"Krug","year":"2002"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"Hidden in plain sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1002\/car.2353","article-title":"The prevalence of child maltreatment across the globe: review of a series of meta-analyses","volume":"24","author":"Stoltenborgh","year":"2015","journal-title":"Child Abuse Rev"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e000180","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjpo-2017-000180","article-title":"Who perpetrates violence against children? 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