To report or not to report. Physicians' attitudes toward discipline and child abuse
J. L. Morris, C. F. Johnson and M. Clasen
Interviews were conducted with 58 physicians to ascertain what factors
influenced their reporting of child abuse. When physicians were presented
with sample cases of injured children, factors that influenced their
decision to report suspected abuse included their attitudes toward physical
discipline, seriousness of the injury, presence of other injuries, their
familiarity with the family, appropriate parental concern, compatibility of
the history and physical examination findings, and the child's behavior.
Results indicated that inappropriate discipline was usually not equated
with reportable child abuse. Physicians believed that abuse is not often
reported because of its low incidence in the private practice setting, the
fear of losing patients, the need for certainty, and the lack of confidence
in community agencies. These beliefs may conflict with the welfare of young
patients.
