title: PILL series. Management of child abuse.
abstract: Children deserve a childhood free from abuse, where their basic physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs are met. Child abuse is defined as any act of omission or commission by a parent or guardian that would endanger or impair the child's physical or emotional well-being, or that is judged by a mixture of community values and professionals to be inappropriate. A total of 247 cases of suspected child abuse in Singapore was investigated in 2012. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect or emotional abuse accounted for 60%, 30% and 10% of these cases, respectively. Primary care providers play an important role in the early detection and referral of child abuse cases, which enable timely intervention to ensure the well-being of the child and prevent further abuse. Hospitals and other medical centres form the largest source of referrals of suspected child abuse.
authors.affiliation: SingHealth Polyclinics - Sengkang, 2 Sengkang Square, Sengkang Community Hub, #01-06, Singapore 545025. wong.pei.ying@singhealth.com.sg.
authors.forename: Pei Ying
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Choon How
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: How
authors.forename: Peter Choong Yi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D002669:Child Welfare; D006801:Humans; D010287:Parent-Child Relations / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors