Child sexual abuse
This is a summary of the peer-reviewed article: Exploring healthcare professionals’ knowledge of how to identify and respond to child sexual abuse by Gracie Eve Lowe and Ellie-May Taylor
The article reports the findings of a systematic literature review that aimed to examine healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) knowledge and practices related to identifying, responding to and managing care for children and young people who have experienced child sexual abuse (CSA). Analysis of the six articles included in the review identified three overarching themes:
- Knowledge of history taking, examinations and interpretations.
- Knowledge of guidelines and reporting.
- Knowledge of multidisciplinary approaches.
Key findings
HCPs showed varying levels of knowledge in obtaining a history and conducting examinations for suspected CSA, leading to inconsistent recognition and response.
While some HCPs were confident in identifying signs of CSA and conducting necessary investigations, others lacked the required knowledge and confidence, potentially hindering safeguarding efforts.
There is a disparity in HCPs’ understanding of legal responsibilities and reporting procedures for CSA, with less experienced HCPs often less knowledgeable or more hesitant to report concerns.
A multidisciplinary approach is emphasised as crucial for effective CSA response, but its implementation is sometimes flawed.
Enhanced multidisciplinary training could improve HCPs’ understanding of roles, referral procedures and overall response to CSA.
Recommendations
National standards for CSA identification and response across multi-agency staff should be enhanced by drawing on evidence-based training.
Advanced CSA training for HCPs may improve their familiarity with protocols in identifying and responding to CSA.
The number of dedicated safeguarding professionals available to support HCPs in reporting CSA should be increased.
Further UK-based research should be undertaken to improve CSA practices for HCPs.
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