Child Physical Abuse: The Need for an Objective Assessment

CME Educational Objectives 1. Identify factors that inhibit physicians from reporting child abuse when identified in the office setting. 2. Determine indicators that provide objective support to a diagnosis of suspected physical abuse. 3. Develop increased confidence in reliably identifying and reporting suspected child physical abuse. Physicians may fail to recognize child abuse for a number of reasons, 1 including a lack of training and experience. Many physicians received little training during medical school or residency; 2 such training increases pediatric residents’ self-rating of competency in evaluating child maltreatment. 3 Pediatricians and pediatric residents who received child abuse education expressed more confidence in their ability to identify and manage child maltreatment 4,5 and were more likely to diagnose child maltreatment. 6