Physical abuse of children and adolescents: do health professionals perceive and denounce?

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2019-07, Vol.24 (7), p.2609-2616
• Main Authors: Martins-Júnior, Paulo Antônio, Ribeiro, Deborah Corrêa, Peruch, Gabriela Santos de Oliveira, Paiva, Saul Martins, Marques, Leandro Silva, Ramos-Jorge, Maria Leticia
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Brazil; Caregivers; Child; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child welfare; Children; Complaints; Content analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentists; Dentists - statistics & numerical data; Health; Humans; Injuries; Mandatory Reporting; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Nurses; Nurses - statistics & numerical data; Physicians; Physicians - statistics & numerical data; Professionals; Reporting requirements; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232018247.19482017

Physical abuse of children is defined as any non-accidental injury or omission of their caregivers that causes risk to the child's integrity. This study aimed to evaluate whether health professionals perceive and report physical abuse in children/adolescents. A total of 62 health professionals (dentists, physicians and nurses) from Diamantina/MG who attend to children and adolescents answered a questionnaire. The collected variables were related to the identification of abuse; denunciation to the authorities and difficulties in making the complaint. Frequency analysis, chi-square test and content analysis were performed. All professionals had identified and reported the occurrence of physical abuse in children/adolescents. Significant association was observed between the specialty of the professional and the recognition of abuse as well as denunciation to the authorities. The main difficulties presented to denounce the cases to the authorities were lack of knowledge in identifying the abuse and how to make the complaint. Most participants expressed that they would like to receive training in identifying and reporting abuse. Health professionals perceive child abuse, and physicians are the ones who most report the cases.