Child Abuse and Neglect: Awareness among Dental Students

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) have significant consequences for children's health and well-being. Dentists play an important role in identifying and reporting CAN cases. This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes toward CAN among dental students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students, comparing second-year (preclinical) and fifth-year (clinical) students, both male and female, in the College of Dentistry at King Saud University during the first semester of the 2022/2023 academic year, using a questionnaire with 23 multiple-choice questions and an electronic link. The results revealed that most dental students (96%) were aware of CAN, with social media being the most utilized source of information (85%). However, the dental college was noticed as the least utilized source (50%). Most dental students recognize the significance of CAN in dentistry and expressed an intense interest in learning how to effectively deal with such cases. Only a small proportion, 16%, of dental students reported experiencing incidents of CAN in their clinical practice. In general, there were statistically significant differences between preclinical and clinical students, but there were no significant differences in awareness between female and male students when the source of information and role in dealing with CAN were taken into consideration. Both preclinical and clinical dental students were aware of CAN, although there were concerns about their ability to cope with it. The results emphasize the importance of comprehensive education and training programs across the dental curriculum about CAN.