33320 Reporting of Child Maltreatment for Professionals: Part 1

Course overview

Discussion of reporting child abuse and neglect, including the Big Four types of maltreatment and basic information about each of them, statistics related to child abuse in the U.S., markings that may be indicative of physical abuse, and myths related to sexual abuse. Child abuse and neglect are serious public health problems, and result from the interaction of a number of individual, family, societal, and environmental factors. A non-Child Protective Services (CPS) study estimated that one in four children in the United States experience some form of child abuse and/or neglect during their childhood. Child abuse and neglect may have a great impact on the future well-being and lifelong health of a child, predisposing them to problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and learning or memory difficulties. Many healthcare workers, including nurses, are mandated reporters of child abuse and/or neglect, and must have knowledge regarding how to appropriately report suspected abuse. Part one of this two-part program provides an introduction to the four major types of abuse, including characteristics, potential consequences, and myths.