Child Abuse and Maltreatment in Age Groups
Child abuse and maltreatment is not limited to a particular age and can occur in the infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age years. Choose one of the four age groups (infant, toddler,preschool, or school age) and discuss the types of abuse that are most often seen in this age. Discuss 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. Child abuse and neglect is a difficult subject to think about, but it is one that we as caregivers must be prepared to address. For most of us, it’s hard to imagine anyone harming a child but it is real.