Opiekun dziecka jako sprawca urazu nieprzypadkowego w obrębie uzębienia. Część I. Identyfikacja zjawiska w aspekcie środowiskowym

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of non-accidental injury has long been analyzed as a public health problem generating high social and economic costs. Aim. The aim of the study is to present views on the etiology of occurrence of the phenomenon of child abuse and its identification in order to take effective interventions interrupting the phenomenon of improper handling of a child. Material and methods. The publications in the PubMed scientific database were reviewed by applying the search criteria for the following keywords in Polish and English: “non-accidental injuries”, “children and adolescents”, “child abuse”, “identification of the phenomenon”, “perpetrator’s psychological profile”, “improper handling of the child”, “social and economic costs”, “public health”. Results. Medical community plays an important role in diagnosing non-accidental injuries. For a dental team, that may be dealing with physical violence injuries, correctly taken medical history and compliance of information provided by the child’s caregiver with visible head and neck post-traumatic injuries is the key factor to differentiate the origins of the trauma. By recognising the multifaceted risk factors in regards to child abuse (resulting due to the environment, the structure of the family, the life situation of the parent or directly related to the child), medical team will be required to intervene to stop child abuse. Conclusions. The authors of studies from various countries agree that despite many publications on the occurrence of the phenomenon of improper handling of a child, there is a need to constantly work on the competences of professionals in the child’s environment – including the dental environment, which can and should effectively respond to violence against children.