<head>FAMILY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION

FAMILY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION

The Role of the Dental Team in Recognition and Referral

Welcome to the web site on recognizing and referring family violence. This site is intended as a service to dentists and their staff on recognizing and referring suspected cases of

  • child abuse
  • elder abuse
  • spousal abuse

    Child Abuse, Elder Abuse, and Domestic Violence are three problems that affect are large number of people throughout New Jersey, as well as the United States and the world. It is the objective of this internet set to educate the indivual as to:

  • definitions of abuse and neglect
  • the magnitude of the problem
  • the signs and symptoms
  • the law
  • how to refer cases of suspected abuse, violence or neglect, whether it be a patient, friend or family member , and to
  • provide links to other internet sites on these topics

    Child Abuse

    Definition of Child Abuse/Neglect

    The Nationial Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) definitions:
  • Physical Abuse- physical acts that caused or could have caused physical injury to the child
  • Sexual Abuse - involvement of a child in sexual activity to provide sexual gratification of financial benefit to the perpetrator, including contacts for sexual purposes, prostitution, pornography, or other sexually explicit actions.
  • Psychcological or emotionial Abuse- acts or omissions that caused or could have caused conduct, cognitive, affective, or other mental disorders.
  • Neglect -failure to provide needed, age-appropriate care.

    Statistics on Family Violence-Child Abuse

    In New Jersey during 1994, there were 28,144 reports of child abuse. 9,519 were substantiated.

    In Camden County, 1994, there were 3,662 reports of child abuse. 1,324 were substantiated.

    12.4% of all reports came from health care workers. These reports showed a 54.2% substantiation rate, second only to the substantiation rate of reports filed by police.

    Approximately 60% of all cases of child abuse have some type of head or neck injury. It is therefor very likely that a dentist may detect such signs if he or she were astute and knowledgable of what to look for.

    click here to see a list of SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CHILD ABUSE

    Legal Aspects of Reporting Child abuse

    In 1993 the ADA house of Delegates passed resolution 23h-1993 ammending the ADA " Principles of Ethics Code and Conduct" to include child abuse. This made dentists ethically obligated to be familiar with all signs of child abuse and to report suspected cases to appropriate agencies. Furthermore, Resolution 141H-1993 urged to ADA to provide resources and training in the topic; therefore, the ADA has recently updated its publication entitled "The Dentist's role in identifying and Reporting Child Abuse." This publication is now available from the ADA.

    New Jersey has one of the nation's few P.A.N.D.A. (prevention of abuse and neglect through dental awareness) programs, which was modeled after Missouri's PANDA Coalition. The chairman of the Missouri Dental Association's Council on Dental Health Education noted an 80% increase in the reporting rate of dentists since the program's inception in 1992.

    According to New Jersey law 9:6-8.9-14 concerning abuse, anyong suspecting child abuse is required to report, and if that person does not report, that person is a disorderly person, and can be fined and.or imprisioned.

    Anyone who reports abuse or neglect is immune from any criminal or civil liabilty

    Dentists should be aware that when a person not in medicine or dentistry takes the stand in a child abuse case, their testimony is regarded as heresay, whereas a medical or dental professionial's testimony is not heresay.

    How to Report Cases of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect

    Suspected cases should be reported to the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)
  • in camden county: (609)227-1234

    The Office of Child Abuse Control has a 24 hour, 7 days a week hotline at 1-800-792-8610

    Elder Abuse

    Definitins of Elder Abuse

    There are several types of elder abuse and neglect:
  • Physical Abuse- the willful infliction of pain injury, or unreasonable confinement.
  • Physcological abuse- the infliction of mental or emotional suffering. It can be words or actions designed to humiliate, provoke, intimidate, confuse, or frighten an elderly person
  • Exploitation Abuse- the act or process of illegally or improperly using a person or his or her resources for another person's profit or advantage
  • Caretaker Neglect- the inadequate provision of care of service necessary to maintain the physical and mental well-being of an elderly or disabled person
  • Self Neglect- an act or failure to act by the elderly which is life-threatening or which can lead to a serious injury

    Statistics on Elderly Abuse/Neglect

    In the United States, there are over 2.5 Million incidents of elder abuse and neglect each year.

    33% of reported cases were from health care providers, dentists giving an insignificant amount of referrals.

    23% of reported cases came from agencies.

    reports by health care workers showed a 54.2% substantiation rate, second only to police.

    75% of all reports were of neglect

  • 50% caretaker neglect
  • 50% self neglect

    click here to see a list of SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ELDER ABUSE

    Legal Aspects of Reporting Elder Abuse

    Under the Handicapped Persons - Adult Protective Services Act of New Jersey, an individual who suspects an incident or elder abuse is encouraged to report the information to the county adult protective services provider.
  • there is no clear legal obligation to report abuse
  • provided that the reporter submits a referral in good faith, the reporter is immune from civil and criminal liability arising from the report, information, or act of testifying.

    How To Report Suspected Cases of Elder Abuse or Neglect

    To Directly initiate an investigation into the report:
  • New Jersey Division on Aging 1-800-792-8820 To indirectly initiate a NJ Division on Aging Investigation through county offices:
  • Camden County Board of Social Services (609) 225-8190
  • after hours 1-800-412-2315
  • Or the reporter can call their local police department.

    Family Violence - Spousal Abuse

    Definition of Domestic Violence

    The Domestic Violence Act considers a person of 18 years or older, or an emancipated minor, who has been subject to domestic violence by a spouse, former spouse or any other person who is a former or present household member, or a person with whom the person has had a child with. This emcompasses

    Statistics on Family Violence

    Domestic Violence is the #1 health risk to women in the United States

  • Violence will occur atleast once in 2/3 of all marriages
  • Domestic Violence is not limitic to any geographic area, income level, religious affiliation, or ethnicity
  • each year, more than one Million seek medical treatment for injurues caused by battering
  • 15-20% of all pregnant woment are battered
  • IN New Jersey:

    click here to see a list of SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

    Legal Aspects of Reporting Domestic Violence

    It is not required by law to report suspected cases of domestic violence in New Jersey, although, based on the same premise as child and elder abuse laws, the report wil be immune from civil and criminal liabilty.

    However, it is required to report any incident if it is coincidental with death, murder, criminal act, and/or child abuse.

    How to Report Suspected Cases of Domestic Violence

    Department of Human Services and Women Services in Camden County: (609)757-77285

    SOLACE in Blackwood, NJ area: (609)227-1234 -Camden area:(609)963-0628

    or call the local Police Department.

    Here are some internet links that may help you on these topics:

    Child Sexual Abuse

    Higher Education Center Against Violence and Abuse

    Elder Abuse Recognition

    Child Abuse Prevention Network

    National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN)

    Battered Women/Child Abuse page

    Justice Information Center

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