title: Pediatrician characteristics associated with child abuse identification and reporting: results from a national survey of pediatricians.
abstract: Pediatrician experience with child protective services (CPS) and factors associated with identifying and reporting suspected child physical abuse were examined by a survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Respondents provided information about their demographics and experience, attitudes and practices with child abuse. They indicated their diagnosis and management of a child in a purposely ambiguous clinical vignette. Pediatricians who had received recent child abuse education were more confident in their ability to identify and manage child abuse. High confidence in ability to manage child abuse and positive attitude about domestic violence screening and value of anticipatory guidance predicted that pediatricians would have high suspicion that the child in the vignette was abused and that they would report the child to CPS. Future efforts to improve medical intervention in child abuse should focus on physician attitudes and experience, as well as cognitive factors.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Emalee G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Flaherty
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sege
authors.forename: Lori Lyn
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Katherine Kaufer
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Christoffel
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: Karen G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D010372:Pediatrics; D012947:Social Work / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology