Paramedic's Role in Reporting and Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

¶ … Paramedic's Role in Reporting/Preventing Child Abuse/neglect Child and elder abuse are probably two of the most insidious crimes in the Western world today, precisely because it is perpetrated by a person known to the victim, and because it tends to be hidden, both by victims and perpetrators. It is however a crime that can severely affect the fabric of society, and should therefore be both reported and eradicated as soon as it is recognized.

Those who work in the medical profession have a particular responsibility towards victims of abuse in terms of both recognizing and reporting when a person is being abused. New York State, for example, has specific laws pertaining to the abuse and reporting of cases that involve abuse of children. The Social Services Law for example requires certified EMS workers to report cases of child abuse or other forms of maltreatment (New York State Law, 2002). It is estimated that 1,000,000 cases of child abuse per year are confirmed.

This translates to a death rate of about three children per day. Hence the importance of immediate reporting if abuse is suspected. Failing to do this is both ethically, legally and socially irresponsible and unacceptable. According to the Department of Health Services (2010), child abuse can manifest in three basic forms: Neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. In the hospital setup, paramedics are often the first to examine these children.

A document created by the Children's Memorial Hospital (2010) therefore holds that these paramedics should be specifically trained to recognized signs of abuse and report these immediately. Part of paramedic training should then also focus upon building the confidence of medical personnel to report cases of abuse once they are identified. Groth and Sumner (1999) provide some details relating to the signs by means of which cases of neglect can recognized.

These include signs from the obvious such as physical injuries that appear to be sustained over a consistent period of time, to the less obvious such as frequent hospital visits for a variety of injuries. It is also important to recognize that children are not the only sector of society that are vulnerable to abuse. The elderly are also at risk. According to Groth and Sumner (1999), elder abuse can manifest in 7 different categories, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial/material exploitation, neglect, abandonment, or self-neglect.

In addition to physical indicators, the authors note that elder abuse can be recognized by behavioral or other indicators as well. Behaviorally, the elder person might be emotionally upset or agitated, withdrawn, fearful, depressed, and so on. Other indicators include an unexplained inability to pay bills, and a disparity between the income, assets and lifestyle. To report cases of such abuse, adult protective services are available to receive and investigate reports.

It is perhaps good to mention here that a paramedic should carefully examine the patient in question before making any reports. He or she should also interview the individual concerned to determine and substantiate suspected abuse. If such a report is made without grounds, it could needlessly damage the reputation of the individuals involved; which in turn could lead to legal expenses for the hospital. However, if abuse that occurs is not reported, the consequences could be even worse, resulting in further injury or death for the victim.

This is why training around these issues are so vital for paramedics who work with children and the elderly Any suspicion of immediate physical danger or harm should therefore be reported right away. When investigating or reporting suspected cases of elder abuse, it is also important.