DQ: What characteristics would lead a provider to suspect domestic violence, child abuse, or elder abuse is taking place within a family?
DQ What characteristics would lead a provider to suspect domestic violence, child abuse, or elder abuse is taking place within a family?
The characteristics displayed that would lead a provider to suspect domestic violence, child abuse, or elder abuse is taking place within a family includes presence of bruises on the child body, burns, fractures, frequent hunger, poor hygiene, little or no emotions when hurt, age-inappropriate sexual behavior, stealing food, excessive friendliness to strangers or wearing long sleeves and trousers in hot weather to hide bruises.
The facility’s procedure for reporting these types of abuse involves, providing the details of the child being abused, taking note of the child’s change in behavior, providing photographs of injuries, providing description of the victims injuries, writing any statements from the child or from any other witness as well as providing any known family information/ cultural practices. It is the nurse’s responsibility to understand that some cultural beliefs may incorporate health practices that are considered unsafe or unhealthy to other cultures that do not share the same beliefs (Falkner, 2018). Obtaining the cultural information can sometime explain the markings on patients bodies that in one culture is normal and another it is viewed or considered child or elder abuse.
Falkner, A. (2018). Cultural Awareness. In Grand Canyon University (Eds.), Health and Wellness Across the Continuum. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/3
violence. I have seen violence against children, against a woman, against a man. Violence knows no boundaries. When in the ER, for children, if a child is continuously being brought to the ED for falling with multiple broken arms/legs, we would call the child line. The child line is a number that we call in my state to file a report regarding suspected abuse. This organization then will follow up with this family sometime after discharge. For a woman or a man who has been sexually assaulted, we have an on call person who is trained to deal with sexual assaults. This would be the SANE nurse. This nurse is trained in how to collect specimens and take pictures in order to document abuse. Raising awareness and developing rigorous evidenced-based programs, practices, and policies to prevent intimate partner violence are essential to stopping violent behavior before it starts (CDC Grand Rounds: A Public Health Approach to Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence, 2019). Most prevention strategies focus on preventing the violence before it starts. This will require the involvement of many key sectors, including education, the media, housing and community development, criminal justice, transportation, and private industry (CDC Grand Rounds: A Public Health Approach to Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence, 2019).
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CDC Grand Rounds: A Public Health Approach to Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence. (2019). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6302a4.htm?s_cid%3Dmm6302a4_x
Violence and abuse are described as any intentional physical, mental, or psychological harm inflicted on a vulnerable person. This includes punching, berating, screaming, and other types of intentional cruelty. Domestic violence also involves threats or mild verbal or physical attacks, and victims seek to comply with the abuser’s demands. Victims feel trapped, reliant, helpless, and powerless. They can experience depression because of being stuck in the abuser’s power and control loop. As a victim’s self-esteem deteriorates because of prolonged abuse, he or she will blame themselves for the violence and be unable to see a way out of the situation. Neglect is described as any deliberate or unintentional lack of concern for someone’s well-being, such as failing to meet a dependent’s basic needs. Child abuse, child neglect, dependent adult abuse, dependent adult neglect, and domestic violence are all examples of abuse and neglect
If a family member shows apparent signs of bruising, malnutrition, depression, extreme fear, extortion, or other similar factors, a mandatory leader can suspect violence or neglect. However, this list is little and not an exhaustive, and other elements which exist. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but mandatory reporters are expected to search for trends of concern and various indicators of problems; they are expected to ask questions if required and to report anything they believe, even if they are not 100 percent certain.
An instructor, for example, can suspect child abuse if a student is chronically underweight and seems desperate to eat all they can while at school. If a woman arrives at the emergency room with severe bruises and physical injuries that do not seem to match her reasons for the medical problems, a nurse may suspect domestic abuse. A mental health professional may suspect elder abuse if a senior citizen pays large sums of money to a single person or if a family member micromanages their finances.
A required reporter must be aware of the appropriate authority to which the alleged violence and neglect should be reported. In the case of child violence, each state has a department of child services (also known as social services) that should be contacted through the appropriate channels, such as hot lines. Domestic abuse should be reported to local law enforcement. Adult services agencies in each state deal with elder abuse and other forms of maltreatment of dependent adult.
References
Child abuse – reporting procedures. (2019). Better Health Channel. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/child-abuse-reporting-procedures
Elder abuse: Types, signs, and reporting. (2020, June 11). Find Assisted Living, Memory Care and Senior Living | A Place for Mom. https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/elder-abuse
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