Child Abuse: Reporting and Classification in Health Care Settings

• NCJ Number: 195032
• Author(s): Stanley K. Loo M.S.W; Nicholas M. C. Bala B.A.; Margaret E. Clarke M.D.; Joseph P. Hornick Ph.D.
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 80 pages
• Corporate Author: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
• Sale Source: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence; Health Canada Bureau of Reproductive and Child Health, Child Maltreatment Division
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research Paper
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: Downloaded May 29, 2002

Annotation

This report presents an overview of current knowledge and issues in the identification, classification, and reporting of child abuse, especially reporting by physicians in health care settings.

Abstract

The specific objectives of the report are to identify and discuss a range of issues related to the definition, scope, and reporting of child abuse; to study Canadian legislation and case law regarding the duty to report child abuse; and to provide an overview of the identification, classification, and reporting of child abuse in eight pediatric hospital sites. While the United States and Canada have made some progress in efforts to deal with child abuse, an increasing number of leaders of the hospital/medical community do not consider health care professionals adequately trained to identify child abuse and neglect. The report offers recommendations for practice, policy, and legislative reform, all in the areas of training, support in making clinical and diagnostic decisions, and the use of special programs. The report also generates recommendations for research. They are relevant to child abuse investigation and reporting, practical, and feasible to implement. Tables, notes, appendixes, bibliography