NCJ Number
52119
Date Published
1975
Length
11 pages
Annotation
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ARE REVIEWED, THE ROLE OF DENTISTS IN THE FIELD IS ADDRESSED, AND GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING THE FINDINGS OF DENTISTS ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
INFANTICIDE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED IN ALMOST EVERY CULTURE AND HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED ON SEVERAL BASES. RITUALISTIC KILLING, MAIMING, AND THE SEVERE PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN IN ATTEMPTS TO EDUCATE THEM, EXPLOIT THEM, 0R RID THEM OF EVIL SPIRITS ALSO HAVE BEEN PART OF MAN'S HISTORY. WITH THE ADVENT OF URBANIZATION AND ASSOCIATED TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES, MORE ECONOMIC VALUE HAS BEEN PLACED ON CHILDREN BY SOCIETY, AND THE PHENOMENON OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT HAS COME TO BE DEFINED AS ONE INVOLVING MALTREATMENT. THE MAJOR ISSUE IS WHAT CONSTITUTES THE REASONABLE USE OF FORCE IN REARING CHILDREN. INTRODUCTION OF THE CONCEPT OF THE BATTERED CHILD SYNDROME HAS BEEN HELPFUL IN ATTRACTING ATTENTION TO THE MEDICAL AND SOCIAL REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, ALTHOUGH THE BATTERED CHILDREN SYNDROME REPRESENTS ONLY ONE SMALL PORTION OF THE SPECTRUM OF PHYSICAL MALTREATMENT. A SUMMARY OF STATE LAWS AS OF 1974 INDICATES THAT 26 STATES MANDATE THE REPORTING OF MALTREATMENT BY DENTISTS AND/OR THEIR DELEGATES, 5 STATES REQUIRE REPORTING BY ANY HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, AND 15 STATES REQUIRE REPORTING BY ANY PERSON HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF CASES OF CHILD ABUSE. THE TERMINOLOGY USED TO DESCRIBE THE SPECTRUM OF MALTREATMENT ENCOMPASSES BOTH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE AND NEGLECT. CRIMINAL LAW USUALLY CATEGORIZES SEXUAL ABUSE AS FOLLOWS: SEXUAL INTERCOURSE, AGGRAVATED RAPE, RAPE, SODOMY UPON A CHILD, INCEST, AND INDECENT LIBERTIES. IN ATTEMPTING TO EVALUATE THE EXTENT OF MALTREATMENT, CONSIDERATION MUST BE GIVEN TO PHYSICAL FINDINGS, RADIOLOGICAL-SKELETAL MANIFESTATIONS, CUTANEOUS LESIONS, OROFACIAL LESIONS, AND NEUROLOGICAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL MANIFESTATIONS. DENTIST ARE OFTEN IN A POSITION TO TAKE THE INITIAL STEPS TOWARD PROTECTING ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN. GUIDELINES TO AID THESE PROFESSIONALS IN PROTECTING CHILDREN ARE PRESENTED IN TWO AREAS: (1) THE PHENOMENON OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING AND TREATMENT AND (2) THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL DENTAL POLICIES, INCLUDING REPORTING AND FOLLOWUP PROCEDURES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (DEP)