Peer-reviewed article
Medicolegal aspects of domestic violence against children
Inbal Maimon-Blau ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper examines the role of dentists in identifying signs of domestic violence against children. Dentists are positioned to encounter child victims of domestic violence more frequently than other physicians. The paper discusses the legal and ethical obligations of dentists to report suspected abuse, as well as the risks and consequences of failing to diagnose violence-related injuries in children.
Key points
- Dentists encounter child victims of domestic violence more frequently than other physicians
- Dentists face legal liability related to reporting obligations for suspected child abuse
- Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose domestic violence injuries poses risks to children
- The dental profession faces both medical and ethical challenges in this context
Limitations
The document is an abstract or introduction only; it does not present empirical data, specific case examples, prevalence statistics, or evidence about the effectiveness of any intervention or training programme. We cannot determine what specific dental findings indicate abuse or what outcomes result from dentist reporting.
Abstract
The routine of the dental profession exposes dentists not only to medical challenges but also to ethical and legal ones. Compared to other physicians, dentists are more likely to encounter children who are victims of domestic violence. This reality exposes them to legal liability due to the reporting obligations and the risk of misdiagnosing injuries. This paper aims to examine the importance of dentists in diagnosing injuries to children caused by domestic violence and the inherent dangers of failing to make such a diagnosis.