Six-year experience of a hospital-based child protection team in Turkey

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Child Protection
• Forensic Medicine

Background:

• Child abuse and neglect pose significant public health challenges.
• Effective child protection requires a coordinated multidisciplinary approach.
• Gaps in existing child protection systems can impede timely and adequate intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the profile of child protection cases managed by a multidisciplinary team.
• To identify and describe challenges within the child protection system.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of interagency collaboration in child protection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 139 child protection cases referred to a multidisciplinary team.
• Review of clinical management and follow-up challenges.
• Assessment of system gaps across medical, legal, and social services.

Main Results:

• Neglect was more prevalent in children aged 0-5 years compared to physical or sexual abuse.
• Physical abuse mean age: 8.9 years; Sexual abuse mean age: 10.8 years; Neglect mean age: 5.1 years.
• Significant challenges identified in interagency collaboration and system-wide coordination.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-based multidisciplinary teams can serve as a catalyst for improved interagency collaboration.
• Addressing systemic gaps in medical, legal, and social services is essential for enhancing child protection.
• Early identification and intervention for child neglect, particularly in younger children, require focused attention.