[Legal perspectives on the role function of emergency room nurses in child abuse]

Under stipulations of the Child and Adolescent Welfare Law, the Domestic Violence Prevention Law, and the Sexual Assault Prevention Law, nurses have an obligation to report cases of child neglect or abuse whenever they encounter victims of either. They also have an obligation to keep victims' information confidential. If they contravene such obligations, they face penalties. In addition, during the process of victim assessment for evidence of neglect or abuse, nurses are required to be present. Nurses who are not aware of such legal obligations, however, may not report victims of child neglect or abuse. In fact, nurses ought to report such victims, and let the statistics on the victims of child neglect or abuse speak, in the hope that they will prompt the government to formulate a policy to protect such victims. In the light of the importance of emergency room nurses in identifying and protecting the latter, this article will explore their role function as regards child neglect and abuse from the legal perspective, with a view to benefit both nurses and victims.