Establishment of Interdisciplinary Child Protection Teams in Turkey 2002-2006: Identifying the Strongest Link Can Make a Difference!

• NCJ Number: 227344
• Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2009 Pages: 247-255
• Author(s): Canan A. Agirtan; Taner Akar; Seher Akbas; Recep Akdur; Cahide Aydin; Gulsen Aytar; Suat Ayyildiz; Sevgi Baskan; Tugba Belgemen; Ozdecan Bezirci; Ufuk Beyazova; Fatma Yucel Beyaztas; Bora Buken; Erhan Buken; Aysu D. Camurdan; Demet Can; Sevgi Canbaz; Gurol Canturk; Meltem Ceyhan; Abdulhakim Coskun; Ahmet Celik; Fusun C. Cetin; Ayse Gul Coskun; Adnan Dagcinar; Yildiz Dallar; Birol Demirel; Billur Demirogullari; Orhan Derman; Dilek Dilli; Yusuf Ersahin; Burcu Esiyok; Gulin Evinc; Ozlem Gencer; Bahar Gokler; Hamit Hanci; Elvan Iseri; Aysun Baransel Isir; Nukhet Isiten; Gulsev Kale; Ferda Karadag; Nuray Kanbur; Birim Kilic; Ebru Kultur; Derya Kurtay; Asli Kuruoglu; Suha Miral; Aysun B. Odabasi; Resmiye Oral; Filiz Simsek Orhon; Cengiz Ozbesler; Dilsad Foto Ozdemir; M. Selim Ozkok; Elif Ozmert; Didem B. Oztop; Hamit Ozyurek; Figen Pasli; Yildiz Peksen; Onur Polat; Figen Sahin; Ahmet Rifat Sahin; Serpil Salacin; Emine Suskan; Burak Tander; Deniz Tekin; Ozlem Teksam; Ulku Tiras; Yilmaz Tomak
• Date Published: April 2009
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study summarized the 5-year outcome of a training program on child abuse and neglect during 2002-2006 developed through the collaboration of the University of Iowa Child Protection Program and the Turkish professionals.

Abstract

Results show that international collaboration among child protection professionals utilizing culturally competent educational programs and an intervention model based on interdisciplinary collaboration engaged the strongest link in Turkey to change local professional attitudes and practices in the recognition and management of child abuse and neglect relatively rapidly. A 5-year plan of training activities on child abuse and neglect to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary audiences with a special focus on hospital-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) proved successful in improving clinical, hospital-based recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect in Turkey; medical staff rarely recognized and reported suspicious abuse to authorities before 2000. As a result of these activities, 3,570 professionals obtained training on child abuse and neglect over 5 years. The number of MDTs increased from 4 to 14. Interagency community collaboration improved significantly in 4 cities involving 10 of the 14 teams. Seven MDT members obtained formal training on child abuse and neglect, two of whom completed a 1 and 6-month mini-fellowship at the University of Iowa. Establishment of new MDTs increased referral and assessment of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect by 5 times leading to the first multicenter case series in Turkey at national scale. Tables and references