Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse

Course overview

Child abuse remains a critical public health issue with complex clinical, ethical, and legal dimensions. Nurses are often the first to recognize signs of maltreatment and play a pivotal role in ensuring child safety. This course explores the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and evaluation of various forms of child abuse, including physical abuse, neglect, abusive head trauma, and medical child abuse (formerly Munchausen syndrome by proxy). Learners will review distinguishing features, differential diagnoses, documentation practices, and mandated reporting responsibilities. Emphasis is placed on a trauma-informed approach, multidisciplinary collaboration, and understanding the emotional and professional impact of working with vulnerable pediatric populations. Learning Objectives By the end of this course, the participant will be able to: Identify common physical, behavioral, and radiologic indicators of child abuse across developmental stages. Differentiate between accidental injuries and those suspicious for inflicted trauma using a trauma-informed clinical approach. Explain the role of nurses as mandated reporters and articulate general principles of state-specific reporting laws. Describe the clinical presentation and impact of specialized abuse categories, including abusive head trauma and medical child abuse. Apply strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration, documentation, and advocacy when caring for children affected by suspected abuse.