Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Child abuse and maltreatment is not limited to a particular age and can occur in the infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age years.

• Choose one of the four age groups (infant, toddler, preschool, or school age) and discuss the types of abuse that are most often seen in this age.
• Discuss warning signs and physical and emotional assessment findings the nurse may see that could indicate child abuse.
• Discuss cultural variations of health practices that can be misidentified as child abuse.
• Describe the reporting mechanism in your state and nurse responsibilities related to the reporting of suspected child abuse.