Wong Ch. 14 child maltreatment and bullying

When assessing a child's injury in the ED, a nurse suspects physical abuse. Based on this suspicion, the nurse's primary legal responsibility is: A. Assist the family in identifying resources for support B. Report the case in which the abuse is suspected to the local authorities C. Document the child's physical assessment findings accurately and thoroughly D. Refer the family to the hospital support group

B

A common characteristic of those who sexually abuse children is which of the following? a. Pressure victim into secrecy b. Are usually unemployed and unmarried c. Are unknown to victims and victims' families d. Have many victims that are each abused only once

ANS A Sex offenders may pressure the victim into secrecy, referring to the activity as a "secret between us" that other people may take away if they find out. The offender may be anyone, from a family member to a stranger at any level of society. Sex offenders are usually trusted acquaintances of the victims and victims' families. Many victims are abused many times over a long period.

Which of the following is descriptive of a parent who is an abuser? a. Usually has a good support system b. Is usually well educated c. Is likely a single parent or from a young parent family d. Often has good knowledge of parenting skills

ANS C Younger parents and single parents are at higher risk to be abusers. Abusive families are often socially isolated and have few support systems. They often have additional stressors such as low-income circumstances and little education.

The nurse is teaching parents of a preschool child strategies to implement when the child delays going to bed. What strategy should the nurse recommend? a. Use consistent bedtime rituals. b. Give in to attention-seeking behavior. c. Take the child into the parent's bed for an hour. d. Allow the child to stay up past the decided bedtime.

ANS: A For children who delay going to bed, a recommended approach involves a consistent bedtime ritual and emphasizing the normalcy of this type of behavior in young children. Parents should ignore attention-seeking behavior, and the child should not be taken into the parents' bed or allowed to stay up past a reasonable hour.

A child is admitted with a suspected diagnosis of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP). What is an important consideration in the care of this child? a. Monitoring the parents whenever they are with the child b. Reassuring the parents that the cause of the disorder will be found c. Teaching the parents how to obtain necessary specimens d. Supporting the parents as they cope with diagnosis of a chronic illness

ANS: A MSBP refers to an illness that one person fabricates or induces in another. The child must be continuously observed for development of symptoms to determine the cause. MSBP is caused by an individual harming the child for the purpose of gaining attention. Nursing staff should obtain all specimens for analyzing. This minimizes the possibility of the abuser contaminating the sample. The child must be supported through the diagnosis of MSBP. The abuser must be identified and the child protected from that individual.

What statement is correct about young children who report sexual abuse? a. They may exhibit various behavioral manifestations. b. In more than half the cases, the child has fabricated the story. c. Their stories should not be believed unless other evidence is apparent. d. They should be able to retell the story the same way to another person.

ANS: A Victims of sexual abuse have no typical profile. The child may exhibit various behavioral manifestations, none of which is diagnostic for sexual abuse. When children report potentially sexually abusive experiences, their reports need to be taken seriously. Other children in the household also need to be evaluated. In children who are sexually abused, it is often difficult to identify other evidence. In one study, approximately 96% of children who were sexually abused had normal genital and anal findings. The ability to retell the story is partly dependent on the child's cognitive level. Children who repeatedly tell identical stories may have been coached.

What are symptoms of abusive head trauma (AHT) in the more severe form that may be present? (Select all that apply.) a. Seizures b. Posturing c. Tachypnea d. Tachycardia e. Altered level of consciousness

ANS: A, B, E In more severe forms, presenting symptoms of abusive head trauma may include seizures, posturing, alterations in level of consciousness, apnea, bradycardia, or death.

The nurse is teaching parents of preschool children consequences of inadequate sleep. What should the nurse include in the teaching session? (Select all that apply.) a. Behavior changes b. Increased appetite c. Difficulty concentrating d. Poor control of emotions e. Impaired learning ability

ANS: A, C, D, E Consequences of inadequate sleep include daytime tiredness, behavior changes, hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating, impaired learning ability, poor control of emotions and impulses, and strain on family relationships. Increased appetite is not a consequence of inadequate sleep.

The nurse is teaching parents of preschool-aged children strategies to prevent sexual abuse. What should the nurse include in the teaching session? (Select all that apply.) a. Back up a child's right to say no. b. Don't take what your child says too seriously. c. Take a second look at signals of potential danger. d. Don't be too detailed about examples of sexual assault. e. Remind children that even "nice" people sometimes do mean things.

ANS: A, C, E To provide protection and preparation from sexual abuse, parents should back up a child's right to say no, take a second look at signals of potential danger, and remind children that even "nice" people sometimes do mean things. Parents should take what children say seriously and they should give specific definitions and examples of sexual assault.

A child is admitted to the hospital with lesions on his abdomen that appear like cigarette burns. What should accurate documentation by the nurse include? a. Two unhealed lesions are on the child's abdomen. b. Two round 4-mm lesions are on the child's lower abdomen. c. Two round symmetrical lesions are on the child's lower abdomen. d. Two round lesions on the child's abdomen that appear to be cigarette burns.

ANS: B Burn documentation should include the location, pattern, demarcation lines, and presence of eschar or blisters. The option that includes the size of the lesions is the most accurate.

What is the most common form of child maltreatment? a. Sexual abuse b. Child neglect c. Physical abuse d. Emotional abuse

ANS: B Child neglect, which is characterized by the failure to provide for the child's basic needs, is the most common form of child maltreatment. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse are individually not as common as neglect.

The parents of a 7-year-old boy tell the nurse that lately he has been cruel to their family pets and actually caused physical harm. The nurse's recommendation should be based on remembering what? a. This is an expected behavior at this age. b. This is a warning sign of a serious problem. c. This is harmless venting of anger and frustration. d. This is common in children who are physically abused.

ANS: B Cruelty to family pets is not an expected behavior. Hurting animals can be one of the earliest symptoms of a conduct disorder. Abusing animals does not dissipate violent emotions; rather, the acts may fuel the abusive behaviors. Referral for evaluation is essential. This behavior may be seen in emotional abuse or neglect, not physical abuse

A 3-month-old infant dies shortly after arrival to the emergency department. The infant has subdural and retinal hemorrhages but no external signs of trauma. What should the nurse suspect? a. Unintentional injury b. Shaken baby syndrome c. Congenital neurologic problem d. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

ANS: B Shaken baby syndrome causes internal bleeding but may have no external signs. Unintentional injury would not cause these injuries. With unintentional injuries, external signs are usually present. Congenital neurologic problems would usually have signs of abnormal neurologic anatomy. SIDS does not usually have identifiable injuries.

What identified characteristics occur more frequently in parents who abuse their children? (Select all that apply.) a. Older parents b. Socially isolated c. Middle class parents d. Single-parent families e. Few supportive relationships

ANS: B, D, E Abusive families are often socially isolated and have few supportive relationships. Single-parent families are at higher risk for abuse. Younger parents more often are abusers of their children. Abusive parents have stressors such as low-income circumstances, with little education, and are not middle class parents.

What is probably the most important criterion on which to base the decision to report suspected child abuse? a. Inappropriate response of child b. Inappropriate parental concern for the degree of injury c. Absence of parents for questioning about child's injuries d. Incompatibility between the history and injury observed

ANS: D Conflicting stories about the "accident" are the most indicative red flags of abuse. The child or caregiver may have an inappropriate response, but this is subjective. Parents should be questioned at some point during the investigation.

What do inflicted immersion burns often appear as? a. Partial-thickness, asymmetrical burns b. Splash pattern burns on hands or feet c. Any splash burn with dry linear marks d. Sharply demarcated, symmetrical burns

ANS: D Immersion burns are sharply demarcated symmetrical burns. Asymmetrical burns and splash burns are often accidental.

When only one child is abused in a family, the abuse is usually a result of what? a. The child is the firstborn. b. The child is the same gender as the abusing parent. c. The parent abuses the child to avoid showing favoritism. d. The parent is unable to deal with the child's behavioral style.

ANS: D The child unintentionally contributes to the abuse. The "fit" or compatibility between the child's temperament and the parent's ability to deal with that behavior style is an important predictor. Birth order and gender can contribute to abuse, but there is not a specific birth order or gender relationship that is indicative of abuse. Being the firstborn or the same gender as the abuser is not linked to child abuse. Avoidance of favoritism is not usually a cause of abuse.

Nursing care of a child in the hospital with suspected abuse should include: A. Assign a variety of nurses to the child so he can get to know and trust the whole staff B. Praise the child's ability to minimize feelings of shame and guilt C. Treat the child as someone with a specific problem, not as an "abuse" victim, to promote self-esteem and minimize feelings of guilt D. Talk with and ask questions as often as possible to show interest and get to know the child better

C