About 80 per cent of reports of suspected child abuse concern children under 14, the age group most frequently treated by dental therapists. (Photo: Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock)

2013-9-23 | News Asia Pacific

DUNEDIN, New Zealand: A new study conducted by researchers in New Zealand has highlighted that dental workers may hold a key role in reporting child maltreatment. As the majority of injuries occur in the head and neck area, therapists, who are the most common type of health professional to see children up to the age of 14 in New Zealand, are in the best position to report physical abuse.

The study, which was conducted at the University of Otago, involved 320 registered dental therapists from New Zealand, who completed a questionnaire in which they were asked how frequently they had suspected and reported child maltreatment over the past year.

The researchers found that 55 had each suspected up to 10 cases of physical abuse, while 87 had suspected up to 10 cases of child neglect. Moreover, 101 participants had suspected up 10 cases of dental neglect.

According to Dhara Tilvawala, the final-year Bachelor of Dentistry student at the university who led the study, the therapists primarily reported bruises and physical signs of abuse to the head and neck area, including cigarette burns, and children who seemed overly fearful when the clinician tried to examine their mouths. Tilvawala said that 50 to 70 per cent of injuries occurred in the head and neck area.

Fears of reporting someone mistakenly, unfamiliarity with the signs of child abuse and fear of violence to themselves from caregivers were among the barriers to reporting. The greatest barrier, however, was that dental therapists were unsure of where to report suspected cases. According to Tilvawala, 40 per cent said that they would report directly to the Child, Youth and Family service, while others preferred to turn to a teacher or school principal, or to discuss the matter with a colleague. Only a few said that they would report the matter to the police, she said.

However, the student also observed that over 94 per cent of the participants felt that they had a responsibility to report suspected child abuse. Over 75 per cent even thought that reporting should be mandatory.

Tilvawala presented the findings at the second meeting of the International Association for Dental Research’s Asia Pacific region, held from 21 to 23 August in Bangkok.