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Citation
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Bjørknes R, Iversen AC, Nordrehaug Åstrøm A, Vaksdal Brattabø I. Health Soc. Care Community 2018; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Affiliation
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Oral Health Centre of Expertise in Western Norway, Bergen, Norway. |
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Copyright
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(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons) |
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DOI
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10.1111/hsc.12703
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| PMID |
30565768 |
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Abstract
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This study is a national cross-sectional survey, conducted in
November 2014, of 366 dental hygienists and dentists who had suspected
maltreatment but did not report it to Norwegian Child Welfare Services
(CWS). The aims of the present paper are to identify the reasons why
public dental healthcare professionals are reluctant to report suspected
child maltreatment to CWS and to determine whether there are
differences in the identified barriers according to socio-demographic
variables. The questionnaire was based on earlier studies and was
adapted to fit the Norwegian context. The most frequently chosen reason
for not reporting was "unsure of own assessment" (90.4%). Thirteen items
pertaining to not reporting were factorised into three factors of
barriers. These factors were "insufficient knowledge of child
maltreatment and reporting", "fear of the consequences for oneself and
the dental clinic", and "fear of the consequences for the patient and
their family". A t test revealed that public dental healthcare personnel
who had not received training on maltreatment and reporting to CWS
during their professional education scored significantly higher on the
barrier "insufficient knowledge of child maltreatment and reporting"
than did dental personnel who had received such training. Furthermore,
dental personnel with more years of experience (11+) scored higher on
this barrier than did dental personnel with less experience. No other
significant differences in barriers were observed. Public dental
healthcare personnel have a mandatory obligation to report to CWS if
they suspect child maltreatment. Despite this obligation, the present
study reveals that several barriers to reporting exist. This study
underscores the importance of strengthening knowledge among dental
hygienists and dentists about when and how to report, both during
education and in clinical practice. |
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