Knowledge, educational experiences and attitudes towards child abuse amongst Jordanian dentists

Abstract

Background: Signs of physical abuse often present in the oro‐facial region and dentists are in a strategic position to recognise and report suspected cases. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, educational experiences and attitudes of Jordanian dentists towards child abuse and to assess their educational needs. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey of a random sample of Jordanian dentists (n = 400) was conducted using an anonymous, self‐administered structured questionnaire. Results: The response rate was 64%. Thirty‐four per cent (n = 88) of the respondents reported having formal training in recognising and reporting child abuse, and 42% (n = 106) had post‐qualification/continuing education training on the topic. Half of the dentists (127/256) suspected a case of child abuse in the past 5 years, but only 12% (31/256) reported their suspicions. The main reasons for not reporting suspicions of abuse were fear from anger of parents (43%), uncertainty about diagnosis (41%) and uncertainty about referral procedures (41%). Those dentists who had formal training in dental school (P = 0.0001) and post‐qualification courses in child abuse (P = 0.006) were significantly more likely to report suspicions. Conclusions: A significant gap existed between recognising signs of physical child abuse and responding effectively. Improvements in child abuse education and continuing education courses are advised to provide dentists in Jordan with adequate knowledge of indicators of physical child abuse and to inform them on the protocol to follow when suspicions arise.

Child abuse: Cross-sectional survey of general dentists

“…Synonymous to studies by Sonbol et al 17 (57%) and Al-Dabaan et al 4 (74.6%), our study also revealed that children of low socioeconomic status (77%) are more commonly predisposed to physical maltreatment. Parent unemployment, poverty and child maltreatment have been identified as risk factors for the same.…”

Assessment of knowledge and attitudes of dental students in regard to child abuse in Turkey

“…Dalledone et al stated that 35.67% of the dentists reported suspected cases to authorities in Brazil. There are many studies from all over the world which reported similar findings . In the present study, most of the students stated the reasons for not reporting child abuse were fear of anger from parents and family, lack of knowledge regarding the referral procedure and uncertainty about the diagnosis.…”

Child abuse and neglect: Role of dentist in detection and reporting

“…[25][26][27][28] A marked increase in reported cases of suspected child abuse by the dental profession can occur by educating dentists and also when child protection teams comprise of a dentist. Dentists who have been educated to recognize signs of abuse and neglect are 5 times more likely to make a report than dentists who are not.…”