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Risk factors for child abuse: levels of knowledge and difficulties in family medicine. A mixed method study
Océane Regnaut1,2, Marie Jeu-Steenhouwer3,4, Cécile Manaouil5,6
1Medical School, University of PicardyJules Verne, 3 Rue des Louvels, 80000, Amiens, France. regnaut.oceane@chu-amiens.fr.
Insights
Family physicians (FPs) need more training in child abuse detection. Despite knowing risk factors, FPs fear misdiagnosis and feel unsupported, hindering reporting of suspected child abuse cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Family Medicine
- Child Abuse Prevention
Background:
- Family physicians (FPs) play a crucial role in identifying and managing child abuse.
- The medical profession's contribution to initial child abuse reports is notably low (2-5%).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Family Physicians' (FPs) knowledge of child abuse risk factors.
- To assess the attention FPs give to these risk factors during practice.
- To identify obstacles FPs face in detecting child abuse.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-method survey utilizing semi-structured interviews with 50 FPs in Somme County, France.
- Inclusion of both closed and open-ended questions to gather comprehensive data.
- Assessment of FPs' knowledge of risk factors and detection barriers.
Main Results:
- FPs' knowledge of child abuse risk factors aligns with existing literature.
- Limited awareness among FPs regarding the impact of prematurity on child abuse risk.
- Fear of incorrect diagnosis emerged as the primary obstacle to reporting suspected cases.
- FPs reported feeling isolated and perceived insufficient support from judicial and social services.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists in specific training for FPs on child abuse detection and management.
- Many FPs expressed a strong need for enhanced training in this area.
- Obstacles in detection, including fear and lack of support, contribute to reluctance in reporting.
- There is a clear need to improve medical education regarding child abuse.
Background:
Family physicians (FPs) have a central role in the detection and management of child abuse. According to the literature, only 2-5% of initial reports of child abuse come from the medical profession.
Methods:
The objective of this study was to assess levels of knowledge of risk factors for child abuse by Family Physicians (FPs) and the attention that the physicians pay to these risk factors. We conducted a mixed-method survey based on semi-structured interviews. 50 FPs practicing in the Somme County (northern France) were interviewed with closed and open questions. The FPs' level of knowledge of risk factors for child abuse and obstacles in the detection of child abuse were assessed.
Results:
The FPs' level of knowledge of risk factors for child abuse was similar to that reported in the literature. However, FPs knew little about the significant role of prematurity. Likewise, the FP's training did not seem to influence their knowledge of risk factors. Fear of an incorrect diagnosis was the main obstacle to reporting a suspected case. The FPs considered that they were often alone in dealing with a difficult situation and considered that the judicial system and the social services were not sufficiently active.
Conclusions:
Few FPs had actually received specific training in the detection and management of child abuse but many stated their need for this type of training. FPs encounter many obstacles in the detection of child abuse, which sometimes make the FP reluctant to report a suspected or potential case. Medical education need to be improved in this field.
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