Högskolan i Skövde

Background

Human rights incorporate children and maltreatment against children is a violation of children's fundamental human rights. The Children's Convention states that children should be protected from all forms of physical and mental violence, as well as neglect and sexual abuse. Long-term effects of child maltreatment influence children’s health and academic achievement. School nurses are responsible for the identification of school age children at risk of or subjected to maltreatment, thus enforcing children’s rights.

Aim

The aim was to explore school nurses experiences of recognizing maltreatment against children.

Method

A questionnaire survey with a descriptive design was conducted. A convenience sample of 233 school nurses attending the Swedish school nursing conference in 2018 answered the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained nine questions of child maltreatment, regarding domestic violence, sexual abuse and honor related violence.

Result

The vast majority of school nurses, 96%, reported experiences of child maltreatment within the family. Approximately half of them, 54 %, had experiences of honor related violence to the child and 57% had experiences of child sexual abuse. Experiences of a child admitting sexual abuse in the past year were less common, 14%, but only 8 % of the nurses had made a mandatory report regarding sexual abuse during that time. Overall, the number of nurses mandatorily reporting child maltreatment is less than the number suspecting the same. 

Conclusion

The findings indicate that experiences of child maltreatment among school nurses are common. However, not all suspected cases, particularly in relation to child sexual abuse, were reported. More research is needed to further explore mandatory reporting and why all suspected cases are not reported.