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Results for “Child Abuse”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The other children: a survey of child abuse physicians on the medical evaluation of children living with a physically abused child.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the practice and attitudes of child abuse physicians regarding the evaluation of "contact children" identified in the home of a physically abused index child. DESIGN: A self-administered survey. SETTING: E-mail and postal mailings from May 10 through September 30, 2005. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians in the United States recognized as experts in child abuse medicine based on membership in the Helfer Society. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Descriptive measures of recommended medical evaluations of contact children in 3 clinical settings, estimates of association between these recommendations, and respondent experiences. RESULTS: There was a 61% (93/153) response rate. Respondents uniformly endorsed medical evaluation for contact children, although there was substantial variability in the extent of evaluation recommended. Recommended diagnostic testing varied by age of contact child and by type of abuse in the index child. Recommendations were influenced by anecdotal recall of abused contact children "missed" during the initial evaluation of another child in the household. Of our 93 respondents, 37 (40%) reported routine disagreement with child protection workers about the need for medical evaluation of contact children. CONCLUSIONS: Child abuse physicians perceive that findings of abuse in contact children are sufficiently frequent to warrant medical examination of most contact children, but there is no consensus on the extent of evaluation needed for contact children. A better understanding of risk of abuse in contact children and improved collaboration between physicians and child protection workers are needed to improve evidence-based care of this high-risk population.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1977

Treatment of the abused child and the child abuser.

Abusing parents are not always criminals. Deficient rearing during childhood deprived them of ego controls that could prevent them from injuring their children as projections of their own anger. Psychoanalytic therapy and ancillary measures can rehabilitate the crisis family. Methods are under study to identify and check potential abusing parents.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Corporal punishment of adolescents by parents: a risk factor in the epidemiology of depression, suicide, alcohol abuse, child abuse, and wife beating.

Over 90% of parents of toddlers spank or use other forms of corporal punishment. Although the rate declines each year from about age five, this study of a large national sample of U.S. adults found that almost half recalled having been corporally punished during their teen years. This high prevalence indicates a need to investigate the possibility that corporal punishment puts adolescents at increased risk of developing mental health and social relationship problems later in life. The analysis, which controlled for a number of possible confounding risk factors such as low socioeconomic status, found that children who experienced corporal punishment in adolescence had an increased risk later in life of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, physical abuse of children, and wife beating. The consistent association of corporal punishment with major adult problem behavior, together with the fact that at least half of all adolescents are victims of corporal punishment by their parents, indicates a need to replicate the study using longitudinal data. If the findings are confirmed, it suggests that a major step in primary prevention of violence and mental health problems can be achieved by a national effort to reduce or eliminate all use of corporal punishment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Child abuse and child abuse studies in Japan.

Medical research on child abuse has a short history of only 20 years. However, the social and familial changes that have occurred since the Second World War have resulted in an increasing number of abused children throughout Japan. Reported cases represent only the tip of the iceberg, with many cases being ignored. This article discusses the history, definition, incidence, and social, familial, and psychopathology factors in the etiology of child abuse based on clinical experience and research surveys undertaken during the past 20 years. Suggestions for improving child abuse preventive and reactive services are also made.

Child↗
PubMed2005

[Child abuse].

Child abuse is most often diagnosed by an emergency doctor on call who sometimes "feels" more than knows what he is confronted with. He should nevertheless always take a medical history and make a physical and radiological examination. X-ray imaging and an ophthalmologic retinal examination are the most important diagnostic steps. Typical findings are multiple and/or dorsal rib fractures, complex skull fractures, physeal fractures, all fractures within the first 12 months, multiple fractures in different localisations and stages of healing, all injuries with uncommon distributions, all patterned bruises, immersion burns, intramural hematoma and every unexplained loss of consciousness. The first step towards victim protection is always the removal of the abused child from its caregivers by admitting it to hospital, as 95% of all cases of reported child abuse take place within the child's family.

Child↗
PubMed1981

The long-term treatment of victims of child abuse.

Child abuse is defined as physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual injury inflicted upon children. It is a complex problem requiring a systematic approach to intervention and treatment. All family members are victims of child abuse. Because child abuse tends to be a cyclic problem, rooted in several generations of parenting, long-term treatment in the community must be available for abusing families, both adults and children. At the core of all successful treatment are the significant relationships which must be established between parents and the case worker and the abused child and the case worker. These relationships must be based on mutual trust, respect, and support-characteristics that are lacking in the relationships of most victims of child abuse. The nurse who works with abusing families in the community brings empathy, a knowledge and understanding of child development, and a holistic approach to health, growth, and change to the relationship. Nurses have a significant role on the child abuse treatment team as primary workers with the family, case managers, and liaisons in a multi-agency interventional effort.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Education of the physician in child abuse.

Child abuse training often mirrors the development of the field of child abuse by focusing on identification and reporting at the expense of other topics. Physical abuse, and recently sexual abuse, have been emphasized, although neglect is more often reported. The training approach should also include information on epidemiologies, treatment, and prevention. A high index of suspicion can be taught by learning to identify specific physical and behavioral patterns of abuse, and discrepancies between history and the child's condition, and developing better interview skills. Physicians need to know reporting laws, what happens to reports in their community, and how to challenge adverse decisions. Characteristics of child abuse treatment and prevention programs should be taught to residents and physicians providing primary care to children. Principles of learning can be used with various methods to present child abuse information and skills. Whether educating medical students, general physicians, or child abuse experts, their level of involvement with child abuse and the key concepts appropriate for that level should be identified before training methods can be selected. Pediatricians can play an active role in assuring that education in child abuse occurs for all physicians. Answers to first set of questions: STEP 1. Probably middle class or higher. 2. Probably at least 5 years old. 3. Children should have at least average verbal and intellectual skills; they may need to be formally tested. 4. Parents should have at least average verbal and intellectual skills. Answers to second set of questions: Childhood Comes First 1. Approximately 1 year in many cases. 2. It should not; it is an individualized program. 3. No, but it should be an emotionally stable individual with good interactive skills and willing to make a substantial time commitment. 4. A wide range can be tolerated, but the coach will have to read if the consumer cannot.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Parenting and family stress as mediators of the long-term effects of child abuse.

Child abuse is known to be associated with a variety of adult psychological difficulties. However, the level and types of such difficulties may be influenced by variation in other nonabusive aspects of the child-rearing context. This study examines whether variation in perceived parental warmth and in nonabusive family stressors influenced the strength of relationships of women's psychological difficulties to their childhood sexual and/or physical abuse. Child abuse, family stress histories, and perceived parental warmth, as well as current psychological functioning was gathered from a community sample of 259 working women. Perceived parental warmth, childhood stress, and abuse were each separately associated with current functioning. However, as expected, multiple regression analyses showed that parental warmth strongly influenced or mediated the relationship of intrafamilial child abuse to depression and self-esteem levels. In contrast, abuse was associated to PTSD independently of variation in perceived parenting. Finally, parenting mediated initial relationships of childhood stress to each of the adjustment measures. The Discussion focuses on the possibility that there may be several developmental pathways that lead to the array of symptoms associated with child abuse. Some symptoms, such as PTSD, may be most influenced by the abuse itself, while others, such as depression, and low self-esteem may be more impacted by lack of parental warmth. Treatment implications are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Emergency department evaluation of child abuse.

Child abuse has been documented in various forms since the beginning of recorded history. This article reviews the legal aspects of reporting child abuse, the epidemiology of child abuse, various physical manifestations of child abuse, and effective treatment procedures. It is only with the appropriate interventions that physicians can begin to make an impact on the future of abused children.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1995

Child abuse.

Child abuse or maltreatment is well documented in the United States. The Department of Health and Human Services and the American Medical Association estimate that at least 1 million incidents of physical, emotional and/or sexual maltreatment occur each year; child abuse is reported to cause 2,500 to 5,000 deaths annually. A 1990 study found that approximately 22.6 out of every 1,000 children in the United States experienced abuse or neglect, yet only half of these incidents were reported to child protective service agencies. Organizations and resources for physicians dealing with child abuse are provided in Table 1.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Traumatic mechanisms of head injury in child abuse.

Child abuse is a complex sociophysical phenomenon in which a child may suffer physical and mental assault ranging from death to emotional deprivation. In this report, an effort is made to identify the pathogenetic mechanisms of head injury in child abuse and to describe the site of injury, incidence of head injury, and difficulties encountered in establishing a doctor-family relationship. During the years 1970 through 1979, 621 children were confirmed victims of child abuse and treated by the medical staff at the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Of these, there were 77 children (12%) who suffered associated head injuries ranging from cerebral concussion to irreversible brain damage and/or death. 85% of these head-injured children were under the age of 2 years. 62% were male and 38% female. In analyzing the type of injury which resulted in an associated head injury, we learned that 54% of all injuries were caused by direct blows to the head, face and other parts of the body, 35% were due to dropping, throwing or falling; only 8% were caused by 'shaking'. 55 injuries (48%) out of 115 trauma cases were thought to be caused by injury to head or face. 53 patients showed 113 external skin wounds such as ecchymoses of eyes, excoriations, bruises, contusion, hematoma, burns, etc. 46% of all external wounds were found over the head and face. This may probably indicate to us that a traumatic force causing injury to the brain is directed to the head and face. The traumatic mechanisms are analyzed and discussed to assess the behavioral derangement of the assault.

Adolescent↗