The Typology and Topography of Child Abuse and Neglect: The Experience of a Tertiary Children’s Centre

Geoff Debelle, Nikolaos Efstathiou, Rafiyah Khan, Annette Williamson, Manjit Summan and Julie Taylor
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Geoff Debelle: Birmingham & Solihull NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, Birmingham B4 6AR, UK
Nikolaos Efstathiou: School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Rafiyah Khan: School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Annette Williamson: Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation NHS Trust, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
Manjit Summan: Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital Foundation NHS Trust, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
Julie Taylor: School of Nursing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: Effective child protection systems and processes require reliable and accurate data. The aim of this study was to determine what data could be extracted from hospital records in a single site that reflected a child’s journey from admission with suspected abuse to the decisions regarding substantiation made by the multidisciplinary child protection team. A retrospective study of the case records of 452 children referred to a major UK children’s tertiary centre for suspected child maltreatment was undertaken. Child maltreatment was substantiated in 65% of referred cases, with the majority of referrals coming from children living in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. Domestic violence and abuse and the child’s previous involvement with statutory bodies were associated with case substantiation. Physical abuse predominated, with soft tissue injuries, including dog bites and burns, most frequent. Burns were related almost exclusively to supervisory neglect. There were also cases of medical neglect. Emotional abuse was associated with exposure to domestic violence and abuse and to self-harm. The strengths and limitations for single-centre data systems were explored, concluding with a recommendation to establish an agreed national and international minimum data set to protect children from maltreatment.

Keywords: child maltreatment; administrative data; domestic violence/abuse; physical abuse; burns; neglect; emotional abuse; poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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