Assessment and award

You will receive a WHO Academy Award of Completion when you complete all learning activities in all three modules. These awards are saved in your ‘My Achievements’ space and can be downloaded and shared.

• Module 1: Child maltreatment and the role of health professionals
• Module 2: Recognizing child maltreatment
• Module 3: First line support for child survivors of maltreatment

Acknowledgement

Some content of this course has been adapted from the Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) Family Violence Education Resources with permission from the owner and rights holder, McMaster University.

Resources

Responding to Child Maltreatment: A Clinical Handbook for Health Professionals is a short and practical guide aimed at all health professionals and allied disciplines who work with children. It offers practical guidance on recognizing signs of maltreatment, communicating safely with both children and caregivers about abuse, and equipping professionals with the necessary skills to intervene and provide support to children and adolescents who experienced maltreatment.

The VEGA (Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action) Project is an initiative at McMaster University funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada focused on addressing family violence in Canada. The VEGA Family Violence Education Resources include evidence-based guidance and resources to assist healthcare and social service providers to recognize and respond safely to various forms of family violence, including child maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), and children's exposure to IPV. Their online platform offers learning modules, interactive learning scenarios, and a handbook, all based on systematic reviews of scientific evidence. These resources aim to equip professionals, including students, with the knowledge and skills needed to support individuals affected by family violence safely and effectively.

The WHO Guidelines for the health sector response to child maltreatment contain recommendations for clinical practice in supporting children who have experienced violence or neglect. WHO guidelines are subject to a rigorous quality assurance process that helps to ensure that each and every published guideline is trustworthy, impactful and meets the highest international standards. This guideline focuses on several key areas including identifying children at risk, communicating effectively with suspected victims, ensuring the child's safety, engaging with caregivers, providing immediate medical and psychosocial support, and documenting findings through medical history and physical exams. They aim to equip health professionals with the necessary tools and strategies to offer timely and appropriate assistance to children affected by maltreatment.

The UK NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) Guidelines Child maltreatment: when to suspect maltreatment in under 18s outline very detailed signs and symptoms of child maltreatment, serving as a tool for health professionals to identify potential cases. While it doesn't provide diagnostic recommendations, it aims to raise awareness among health care providers who aren't specialists in child protection.

WHO's clinical guidelines Responding to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused focus on assisting health professionals in providing high-quality care to children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse. Emphasizing safety, choice, and respect for autonomy, the guidelines offer recommendations for post-rape care and mental health support. They also detail approaches to minimize distress during medical history-taking, examinations, and documentation. They aim to ensure survivors receive compassionate and evidence-based care while navigating the sensitive and complex issues surrounding sexual abuse.

References

1. Stoltenborgh M, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH, Alink LR. Cultural–geographical differences in the occurrence of child physical abuse? A meta-analysis of global prevalence. International Journal of Psychology. 2013;48(2):81–94 DOI:10.1080/00207594.2012.697165
2. Stoltenborgh M, Van Ijzendoorn MH, Euser EM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. A global perspective on child sexual abuse: meta-analysis of prevalence around the world. Child Maltreatment. 2011;16(2):79–101 DOI:10.1177/1077559511403920
3. Stoltenborgh M, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Alink LR, Van Ijzendoorn MH. The universality of childhood emotional abuse: a meta-analysis of worldwide prevalence. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. 2012;21(8):870–90. DOI:10.1080/10926771.2012.708014
4. Stoltenborgh M, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Van Ijzendoorn MH. The neglect of child neglect: a meta-analytic review of the prevalence of neglect. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2013;48(3):345–55 DOI:10.1007/s00127-012-0549-y
5. Pereznieto P, Montes A, Routier S, Langston L. The costs and economic impact of violence against children. Richmond, VA: ChildFund. 2014.
6. Pereira, A., Peterman, A., Neijhoft, A. N., Buluma, R., Daban, R. A., Islam, A., ... & Palermo, T. (2020). Disclosure, reporting and help seeking among child survivors of violence: a cross-country analysis. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-23. DOI:10.1186/s12889-020-09069-7
7. Child maltreatment: when to suspect maltreatment in under 18s. Clinical Guideline. London, UK: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2009.
8. Tsokos, M. Diagnostic criteria for cutaneous injuries in child abuse: classification, findings, and interpretation. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 11, 235–242 (2015).https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-015-9671-y
9. WHO Guidelines for the health sector response to child maltreatment. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019.https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-guidelines-for-the-health-sector-response-to-child-maltreatment
10. VEGA Family Violence Education Resources [https://vegaproject.mcmaster.ca/], by ©2020 VEGA Project, McMaster University. Used with permission.
11. Responding to child maltreatment: a clinical handbook for health professionals. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA3.0 IGO.