Question

Child abuse and maltreatment is not limited to a particular age—it can occur in the infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age years. Choose one of the four age groups and outline the types of abuse most commonly seen among children of that age. Describe warning signs and physical and emotional assessment findings the nurse may see that could indicate child abuse. Discuss cultural variations of health practices that can be misidentified as child abuse. Describe the reporting mechanism in your state and nurse responsibilities related to the reporting of suspected child abuse.

Answer 1

Child abuse for long time has been always recorded in all the domains of subjects. Reports of infanticide, mutilation, abodonment and other forms of violence against child is date back to the ancient civilization.

Out of the age groups given preschoolers to be described.

Child abuse can be any form of physical, social, mental violence which harms the child in any form to their survival, development and dignity of the roles and responsibility of the power.

The types of abuse which takes place in this preschoolers :

* physical abuse: which is attempted actually by the care giver were the harm is actual or potential to the child

* sexual abuse: here the caregiver uses the child for the sexual gratification

* emotional abuse: here caregiver fails to provide the supportive and conducive environment to the child that has the adverse effects of the emotional development of the child. These includes restriction, discrimination and other physical violation and harms

* neglect : failure of the care giver to provide proper development care in terms of education, nutrition, health, safe living conditions. The warning signs which includes are:

* repeated and devasting injury of the skin, skeletal system or the nervous system.

* if sexual abuse they would have the genital injury, infections, abdominal pain, constipation recurrent urinary tract infections.

* if it's the neglect these may include the usage of drugs, going in the immoral way, inadequate accessing to the health care, failure of child to thrive.

The assessment made by the nurse which includes the thought assessment of physical examination, the behaviours and the symptoms the child exhibits. This includes :

* the physical injuries such as fractures, head trauma and visceral injuries

* social isolation

* feeling disturbed and fearful

* normal functioning and doing the basic needs reduces

* fear to disclose verbally

* illness which would include the emotional problems such as depression

* the approach must include the care screening wereby the child would ventilate the feelings.

The cultural variation of health practice which is misidentified as child abuse are :

* coining which is the dermabrasion therapy of traditions which is misidentified as child abuse as this therapy includes the intense rubbing of the skin to identify the physical emotional and behavioural problems of the child.

* spooning which is similar to coining were by they use the porcelain spoon or other material to rub on the wet skin which causes the echimosis of skin in the linear pattern.

* cupping which includes wet and dry for the alleviation of the pain and other symptoms but has the after effects on the body including rashes bruise too.

* the moxbustion wereby the her of moxbustion is burnt near to the skin surface for some time to reduce pain which later appears to be a burnt mark which is caused by cigarettes burns with child abuse. Thus the above mentioned aspects directly provide the physical harms though done for health practices gives the negative view whne it is been examined.

The reporting includes calling up of the child abuse rescue ur or the worker wereby giving out the detail which nurse can be with the child :

* base line details of the child

*the indicators of the harm which is assessed

* reason for why the report is done now

*safety assessment which includes the immediate danger by the caregivers to the child

* description of the injury and behaviour observed

* child's whereabouts

* other services wereby the person is knowledgeable about the family

* cultural characteristics of child's origin and any other health practices

The responsibilities of the nurse includes:

* acting as a support during the interviews

* participating in case planning meetings

* continue to monitor the child's behaviour in knowing about the ongoing harm

* providing written reports to the court proceedings

* helping the families to make the child care safe.