Federal government websites often end in. The site is secure. Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October Learn More or Try it out now. To discuss the consequences of abuse on childhood behavioural development, to highlight some behavioural clues that might alert physicians to ongoing child abuse, and to explore the specific role of the family physician in this clinical situation.
A systematic search was used to review relevant research, clinical review articles, and child protection agency websites. It is a lens through which the family physician can observe the development of the child throughout his or her life.
All types of abuse are damaging to children—physically, emotionally, and psychologically—and can cause long-term difficulties with behaviour and mental health development. Family physicians need to be aware of and alert to the indicators of child abuse and neglect so that appropriate interventions can be provided to improve outcomes for those children. Child abuse might cause disordered psychological development and behaviour problems. Family physicians have an important role in recognizing behaviour clues that suggest child abuse and in providing help to protect children.
Child abuse has serious consequences for child development and family health throughout the life cycle, and it might be detected in the family practice office. This article will focus on the behavioural aspects of child abuse as they apply to primary health care providers. Sara brought her 3-year-old son, John, to the family doctor, mentioning that the child had been complaining of recurrent abdominal pain.
She stated that the abdominal pain came usually at night or during temper tantrums. All relevant papers were selected for review, limited to those published in the English language, and additional articles were identified from their bibliographies. While there is no single definition of child abuse, the definition from the World Health Organization is the most comprehensive:. Approximately 40 million children worldwide are abused each year. A strong and secure attachment bond with a primary caregiver is the core of developing resilience and a healthy personality.
