CAUTION:
Keep all suspicions to yourself. It is NOT the medic's responsibility to
confront the parents with the charge of child abuse.
b. Treatment. Treat the child for all injuries, as appropriate.
c. Report. Prepare a report for the medical staff.
(1) Record your observations about the child's injury. Omit writing or
speaking about child abuse or a battered child in your report. Use the initials N.A.T.
(nonaccidental trauma) or the initials S.C.A.N. (suspected child abuse and neglect).
(2) Record your observations at the scene of the injury if you are not in a
medical treatment facility. If you are in the victim's home, describe the condition of the
home specifically. List any objects that were used to hurt the child, such as belts or
straps.
(3)
Transport the child to a medical treatment facility.
CAUTION:
DO NOT confront the parents with your suspicions of child abuse. Your
responsibility is to treat the child and get the child to a medical treatment
facility.
4-9.
THE SEXUALLY MOLESTED CHILD
a. Situation Management. Management of this situation requires a great deal
of tact. The parents are usually upset with everybody, including health care personnel.
The child will also be upset and frightened. If the offender is outside the family, the child
may have tried to tell the parents of the abuse. If the offender is inside the family, the
child may have tried to tell a family member. In either case, the parents (or other family
members) will be very anxious, and you need to reassure parents (or other family
members) as well as the child.
b. Role of the Medical NCO. Follow these procedures.
(1) Be calm and understanding. Reassure the parents (or other family
members) and the child.
(2) Develop a complete report. Follow local standing operating procedure
(SOP) and local advocacy policy. Have the child describe the attacker as completely as
possible if the person is not a family member or a friend. You may have the child
describe the nature of the attack. Use dolls and drawings as methods of gathering this
information from the child. Objective evidence must be gathered such as samples from
the vagina and pubic hair. The examining physician will collect these samples from the
patient. Be sure any other evidence at the scene is protected.
MD0584
4-15