Opiekun dziecka jako sprawca urazu nieprzypadkowego. Część II. Badanie podmiotowe i przedmiotowe w ujęciu wiktymologicznym

Abstract

Introduction. Post-traumatic injuries are significant problems of paedodontic dentistry that parents with children urgently report to dental practice. Aim. The aim of the study is to indicate the necessity of maintaining the victimological awareness of the dental team in assessing injuries of deciduous and permanent teeth in terms of differentiating accidental and non-accidental injuries. Material and methods. The publications in the PubMed scientific database were reviewed by applying the search criteria for the following keywords in Polish and English: “non-accidental injury”, “children and youth”, “perpetrator of abuse”, “phenomenon identification”, “interview and clinical examination”. Results. Interview and clinical examination are among the basic diagnostic tools for correct diagnosis, which results in the implementation of proper therapeutic management in a child after an injury. This also an opportunity to observe disturbing behavior of children that may indicate abuse. Regardless of the provided information, the subject examination is verifying the compliance of an interview with post-traumatic injuries arising in a simple physical mechanism – the greater the energy, the greater destruction. This will provide relevant information that verifies the compliance of the interview with the clinical examination, thanks to the reliable victimological knowledge of the dentist, results in the correct diagnosis, implementation of appropriate treatment, and child abuse intervention. Conclusions. The likelihood of a child’s non-accidental injury requires medical professionals to take decisive action to protect the child from the effects of physical violence in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which minors forced by the external situation spend more time with perpetrators of abuse, they are more exposed to harm. Victimology education and an appropriate response to child abuse will allow for effective intervention regarding both the therapeutic process and measures to prevent further harm to children.