Biomaterial Database

Child abuse: ethical and legal concerns for the nurse. 1994

L Lewin

Medical College of Ohio, Toledo 43699, USA.

1. Nurses, as well as many other types of professionals, are required by law to report any incidence or evidence of child abuse or neglect. The nurse or other professional is immune from liability after reporting an incidence of child abuse, but the nurse can be held civilly and criminally liable if he or she fails to make a report of suspected abuse. 2. Nurses are permitted, by law, to enter evidence and testify on behalf of the victim, especially if it is deemed to be too harmful or traumatic for the child to endure. 3. Nurses can aid greatly in the prosecutorial process by utilizing their relationship with the victim to ease the often-daunting pressure of the courtroom and the difficulty in dealing with and recounting the abusive incidents.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011613	Psychotherapy	A generic term for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances primarily by verbal or nonverbal communication.	Psychotherapies
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002649	Child Abuse	Abuse of children in a family, institutional, or other setting. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994)	Abuse Experiences, Childhood,Child Neglect,Child Neglect Experiences,Child Neglect, Physical,Childhood Abuse Experiences,Childhood Neglect Experiences,Neglect Experience, Childhood,Neglect Experiences, Childhood,Physical Neglect, Childhood,Child Maltreatment,Child Mistreatment,Abuse Experience, Childhood,Abuse, Child,Child Neglect Experience,Childhood Abuse Experience,Childhood Neglect Experience,Childhood Physical Neglect,Childhood Physical Neglects,Experience, Child Neglect,Experience, Childhood Abuse,Experience, Childhood Neglect,Maltreatment, Child,Mistreatment, Child,Neglect Experience, Child,Neglect, Child,Neglect, Childhood Physical,Neglect, Physical Child,Physical Child Neglect,Physical Child Neglects
D002655	Child Custody	The formally authorized guardianship or care of a CHILD.	Custody, Child,Child Support,Support, Child
D003219	Confidentiality	The privacy of information and its protection against unauthorized disclosure.	Patient Data Privacy,Privacy of Patient Data,Privileged Communication,Confidential Information,Secrecy,Communication, Privileged,Communications, Privileged,Data Privacy, Patient,Information, Confidential,Privacy, Patient Data,Privileged Communications
D004993	Ethics, Nursing	The principles of proper professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of nurses themselves, their patients, and their fellow practitioners, as well as their actions in the care of patients and in relations with their families.	Nursing Ethics,Ethic, Nursing,Nursing Ethic
D005104	Expert Testimony	Presentation of pertinent data by one with special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject.	Expert Opinion,Expert Witness,Expert Opinions,Expert Testimonies,Expert Witnesses,Opinion, Expert,Testimony, Expert,Witness, Expert,Witnesses, Expert
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D016365	Liability, Legal	Accountability and responsibility to another, enforceable by civil or criminal sanctions.	Institutional Liability,Personal Liability,Professional Liability,Legal Liability,Medical Liability,Torts,Institutional Liabilities,Legal Liabilities,Liabilities, Institutional,Liabilities, Legal,Liabilities, Medical,Liabilities, Personal,Liabilities, Professional,Liability, Institutional,Liability, Medical,Liability, Personal,Liability, Professional,Medical Liabilities,Personal Liabilities,Professional Liabilities,Tort