Based on the results of this survey, it appears that the level of knowledge among the respondents regarding the forms and indicators of CAN is good. However, a large proportion of respondents did not take action regarding suspected cases of CAN in their practice over the past five years. Therefore, additional resources and training are needed to support the identification and management of cases of child maltreatment by dental practitioners.
The web-based training program in child protection was appraised positively and was effective in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes towards safeguarding children.
Introduction: Dental practitioners have ethical and legal responsibilities toward protecting children from child abuse and neglect (CAN). Training the dental team in safeguarding children is recommended, to be able to detect and report suspected child maltreatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess training experience of dental students in CAN and assess their attitudes towards the importance of safeguarding children. Methodology: A self-administered structured questionnaire was distributed by hand to both fourth and fifth year students in the College of Dentistry, King Saud University in Riyadh. The questionnaire included demographic questions, questions related to previous training in CAN, and attitudes of dental students towards CAN. Results: Only 141 dental students participated in this study. Around 7% of participants have had previous training in child protection. Only 5.5% from male students and 9% from female students had previous training in CAN. There were no significant differences between genders or between academic years in terms of having previous CAN training. However, 80.4% of dental students agreed that more training is required in this field. Conclusion: The results of this study show that there is an insisting need to include CAN training in undergraduate University courses for dental students.
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