A new record includes all cases of suspected child abuse attending pediatric emergency.

-registration has started work on 1 September and with the initial participation of 25 hospitals throughout Spain

– it is estimated that 5 and 15 children between in every 1,000 suffer mistreatment, although only detect between 10 and 20 per cent of the total number of cases of ill-treatment

– globally, children suffer more abuse than girls (60% versus 40%). However, girls suffer 80 per cent of sexual abuse

-physical abuse is more common in children under 5 and 2 years, while sexual abuse mainly affect children above 9 or 12 years

-certain omissionsfor example, given inadequate food and inadequate to the child, are also a form of abuse

Bilbao, 2011-October the Coordinator of the Group of abuse of the Spanish society of emergency paediatric, Jesús Sánchez Etxaniz, announced last Tuesday in Bilbaoon the occasion of the delivery of a workshop on early detection of child abuse aimed at staff of nursing and organized by nursing college, Bizkaia, putting in place a registration centralized all cases of suspected ill-treatment minors detected in Pediatrics emergency services

The initiative, initially involving a total of 25 hospitals scattered throughout Spain has an online registration in which health professionals collected, with all the guarantees of confidentiality applicable in these cases, features as the age of the patients with suspected abuse, gender, type of suspicion, number of cases, etc. In Spain, there was no up to date a similar record.

Sánchez Etxaniz, who is also head of section of emergency paediatric Hospital de Cruces vizcaíno, made this announcement in line with the formation of a large group of Vizcaya nurses in early detection of this social problem, because of the commitment of the Bizkaia Nursing College (CEB) of educating their members in this matter. As has been stated María José García Etxaniz, President of the CEB, nursing, for his continuous work with the patient, boasts a privileged position for the early detection of suspicions of child abuse. And this is true both in pediatric emergency services and consultations in primary care Pediatrics ”.

The Coordinator of the Group of abuse of the Spanish society of paediatric emergency department has indicated that we do not know with certainty the actual figures of child abuse, it is estimated that 5 and 15 children between of every 1,000 suffer mistreatment ”. However, the expert has pointed out that are detected only between 10 and 20 per cent of the total number of cases ”.

The expert has distinguished between the abuse by action and by default, since leaving do something positive for the child, as for example, give an inadequate or insufficient food, is also a form of abuse ”. Abuse can be grouped into physical abuse and emotional abuse. Also in physical abuse discriminate between generic ill-treatment, which are understood to shock, Burns, fractures by injuries, etc., and sexual abuse.

Globally, children suffer more abuse than girls (60% versus 40%). However, girls suffer 80 per cent of sexual abuse. Also, physical abuse is more common in children under 5 and 2 years, while sexual abuse mainly affect children above 9 or 12 years ”, has indicated.

The consequences of abuse in children are variable depending on the type of abuse, age and gender of the child, and the duration of the abuse. In this sense, the longer this situation extends deeper shall sequelae in children. In addition, it must not forget that, unfortunately, every year there are several deaths of children in Spain because of the ill-treatment ”.

Sánchez Etxaniz has attracted attention on the importance of early detection of abuse suspicions: when a child comes to the health system with obvious abuse injuries, set in motion a police and judicial mechanism that gives adequate child protection. However, a large part of abuse remains hidden by the difficulty of identifying their existence and their origin. For this reason, we must learn the keys that may indicate the existence of an abuse. This is very important because there is a high rate of recidivism by the perpetrator in cases of ill-treatment and this situation is usually going to worsen progressively ”.

Must be borne in mind that, in the absence of a crime — moment in which the case would be in the fields of police and judicial —, are social services that take care of the follow-up to the minor, and where to call in case of a suspicion of abuse a minor ”He has said.

Finally, the Chief of section of Pediatrics emergency room of the Hospital de Cruces pointed that is not trial suspicions; It is sometimes difficult to determine who is responsible for the abuse. For this reason, should insist that the most important thing is going in favour of the child and give you the protection you need. We must not forget that many children who have been abused are converted into adulthood in abusers ”.