Nebraska school nurses identify emotional maltreatment of school-age children: a replication of an Ohio study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how often school nurses identify emotional maltreatment using validated vignettes.


METHODS
Survey, with 16 behavior vignettes, mailed to 550 Nebraska school nurses. Four forms represented nonwhite and white, male and female children. Demographic questionnaire included.


METHODS
Survey mailed with regular spring school nurses' newsletter.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-one school nurses completed and returned surveys.


METHODS
Each vignette was an example of emotional abuse; subjects indicated "refer" or "not refer" decisions about the vignette. All items were positive for emotional abuse.


RESULTS
Sixty-four of 121 (53%) respondents correctly identified 13 or more vignettes as referable for emotional maltreatment. No influence of child gender and race on reporting decision. No nurse characteristics correlated with referral rates.


CONCLUSIONS
None of the variables studied significantly influenced school nurses' identification of emotional abuse. Further research is needed to ascertain correlation between text vignettes and reporting, and to identify interventions to increase the rate of identifying emotional abuse.
Pakieser
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Curriculum Resource Center, School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA.
Starr
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LeBaugh
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009329:Nebraska; D009820:Ohio; D012573:School Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires