Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

Pediatrician characteristics associated with child abuse identification and reporting: results from a national survey of pediatricians.

Flaherty EG, Sege R, Price LL, Christoffel KK, Norton DP, O'Connor KG

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Pediatrician experience with child protective services (CPS) and factors associated with identifying and reporting suspected child physical abuse were examined by a survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Respondents provided information about their demographics and experience, attitudes and practices with child abuse. They indicated their diagnosis and management of a child in a purposely ambiguous clinical vignette. Pediatricians who had received recent child abuse education were more confident in their ability to identify and manage child abuse. High confidence in ability to manage child abuse and positive attitude about domestic violence screening and value of anticipatory guidance predicted that pediatricians would have high suspicion that the child in the vignette was abused and that they would report the child to CPS. Future efforts to improve medical intervention in child abuse should focus on physician attitudes and experience, as well as cognitive factors.

Published 17 October 2006 in Child Maltreat, 11(4): 361-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Child Abuse Research Today. All Rights Reserved.