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Which key factors may prevent nurses from reporting suspected child abuse? Student name/I. D. number EP 1: Written Assessment Knowledge, Enquiry & Communication Date Word Count: 539

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Enquiry Question: Which key factors may prevent nurses from reporting suspected child abuse?

Question One: What is this enquiry question about? Physical abuse of children is a major social problem that occurs in families right across the age and socio-economic spectrum (Russell, Lazenbatt, Freeman, & Marcenes, 2004). Due to nurses often being the first point of contact for victims of abuse (Chihak, 2009) it puts them in a pivotal position to be able to accurately gather information regarding child victimisation and pass this information on to those agencies tasked with investigating such issues. In New Zealand the Ministry of Social Development, specifically Child, Youth and Family, is the main agency that establishes such investigations and they define child abuse as any physical injury of a child caused intentionally by an adult (Department of Child, Youth and Family, 2000). Child, Youth and Family also further specifies that physical abuse may include the sexual abuse of any child and that this type of abuse is any kind of sexual activity that is forced upon a child by an individual/s responsible for the victims care, or that individual/s has some form of authority over the victim and that the victim has no comprehension of the act or is unable to provide their consent (Department of Child, Youth and Family, 2000). However there are two further forms of abuse that are harder to define. These include emotional/verbal abuse and neglect. Chihak (2009) defines emotional/verbal abuse as any verbal comments that damage or interfere with a childs sense of self or emotional wellness. Neglect can further be defined as when a person/s fails to perform tasks or behaviours that they are reasonably obligated to provide, due to their relationship to/with the child (Keane & Chapman, 2008).

Student name/I. D. number Although signs of physical abuse seem fairly easy to detect and their consequent impact on the victims lives are well documented primary health care professionals still seem reluctant to report such cases and are underestimating the true prevalence of such abuse (Lagerberg, 2001).

This in turn is limiting multidisciplinary interagency support of both the victim and their families (Russell, Lazenbatt, Freeman, & Marcenes, 2004) and providing nurses with the ability to be effective in their roles whilst also protecting the victim from future victimisation (Chihak, 2009).

Question Two: Why is this enquiry question important? In order for nurses and other health care professionals to assist in breaking the cycle of violence and abuse (Piltz & Wachtel, 2009.) it is necessary to understand why they are not currently reporting cases of suspected abuse. In doing so governments and health boards will be able to provide nurses with the training and procedural information they require to be able to make sound judgements about those cases they suspect may be abuse related. This will also assist nurses in being confident in their initial assessment (Piltz & Wachtel, 2009). Due to many primary health care professional such as nurses perhaps having previously had negative experiences with protection agencies (Piltz & Wachtel, 2009), they will also have more confidence that all agencies involved will have all the (correct) information available to take effective actions and improve preventative and curative measures to protect and help victims and their families . One further positive outcome that Davidhizar & Newman-Giger (1996) suggests is that this action will encourage nurses to continue reporting suspected abuse and thereby help in breaking the cycle of abuse and silence.

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References Chihak, A. (2009). The nurses role in suspected child abuse. Paediatrics and Child Health, 19(52). doi: 10.1016/j.paed.2009.08.005 Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989. Retrieved August 1, 2011, from http://www.cyf.govt.nz/documents/working-with-others/standards-of-approval.pdf Davidhizar, R., & Newman-Giger, J. (1996). Recognizing abuse. International Nursing Review. 45(3). doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.04030.x Keane, C., & Chapman, R. (2008). Evaluating nurses knowledge and skills in the detection of child abuse in the Emergency Department. International Emergency Nursing, 16(1), 513. doi: 10.1016/j.ien.j.2007.11.006 Lagerberg, D. (2001). A descriptive survey of Swedish child health nurses awareness of abuse and neglect. I. Characteristics of the nurses. Child Abuse and Neglect 25(1). 1583-1601. doi:10.1016/SO145-2134(01)00300-3 Piltz, A & Wachtel, T. (2009). Barriers that inhibit nurses reporting suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing. 26(3). 93-100. Retrieved 5 August 2011 from http://www.ajan.com.au/Vol26/26-3_Piltz.pdf Russell, M., Lazenbatt, A., Freeman, R., Marcenes, W. (2004). Child Physical Abuse. British Journal of Community Nursing. 9(8). 332-338. Retrieved 6 August, 2011 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ff77144d74f2-4c08-a917-196b5162f498%40sessionmgr14&vid=4&hid=