Background: Lack of diagnosis and reporting of child maltreatment are important problems worldwide. Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of physicians in Alexandria University teaching hospitals about the diagnosis and reporting of child maltreatment cases. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals. All physicians working regularly in emergency units were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of and formal training on child maltreatment, attitude to dealing with child maltreatment, and experience of child maltreatment cases and reporting behaviour. Results: A total of 90 physicians were included in the study. Only 11% correctly identified all the signs of child maltreatment and 29% correctly answered all questions on the social indicators of maltreatment. Only 41% of the participants had a good knowledge score (≥ 75%) on child maltreatment. Longer work experience (P = 0.019) and older age (P = 0.039) were associated with better knowledge. Of 249 suspected cases of child maltreatment that the physicians reported they had experienced, only 36% were reported. Formal training on child maltreatment 1 / 12 WHO EMRO | Child maltreatment: knowledge, attitudes and reporting behaviour of physicians in teaching (P < 0.001) and older age (P = 0.006) were associated with physicians' reporting behaviour. Over half (56%) of the participants thought their workplaces did not provide them with procedures to follow if they suspected child maltreatment. Conclusion: Physicians' knowledge of the signs and social indicators of child maltreatment was unsatisfactory. Clinical training and education are needed to improve their ability to diagnosis and report cases of child maltreatment.

No abstract

Child maltreatment (CM) is not always documented or reported, and as such, estimates of the prevalence of violence against children are inaccurate while true rates remain unknown. Researchers have established that physicians have unsatisfactory knowledge, attitudes, and report of CM. The purpose of the present research is to assess the magnitude of CM within the Alexandria Governorate and to formulate a simple graphical guideline for physicians to follow in CM cases. A list was adopted from World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to record known and suspected CM cases to assess the magnitude of the problem within the governorate and how CM cases are being managed; the checklist was then modified according to the available data. Three hundred ninety-six children had been exposed to different forms of CM in 2019 according to official documentation, mostly boys. In most cases, danger had been confirmed, and a single person was the most common perpetrator. Investigations were conducted in most of the cases, and most of the child victims received psychological support. In terms of prognosis, the child’s circumstances improved in most cases. Our research revealed that child neglect was the most common form of CM reported in Alexandria, with more boys being exposed than girls. A familiar person was the alleged perpetrator in most of the studied cases, mainly a parent. Cases were managed through multidisciplinary approaches, with the coordination of many agencies and continuous follow-up for most victims.

No abstract