Predictors of failure by medical practitioners to report suspected child abuse in Queensland, Australia.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this investigation was to examine the level of notification of child abuse and neglect and the perceived deterrents to reporting by medical practitioners, who are mandated to report their suspicions but might choose not to do so.

DESIGN

A random sample of medical practitioners was surveyed. About three hundred medical practitioners were approached through the local Division of General Practice. 91 registered medical practitioners in Queensland, Australia, took part in the study.

RESULTS

A quarter of medical practitioners admitted failing to report suspicions, though they were mostly cognisant of their responsibility to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect. Only the belief that the suspected abuse was a single incident and unlikely to happen again predicted non-reporting (chi(2) [1, N = 89] = 7.60, p < 0.01). No gender, age or parent status differences were found between reporters and non-reporters.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the rate of non-reporting shows improvement from previous research, it is still at an unacceptable level. The failure to report appears to result not from judgement about the presence or absence of indicators of child abuse and neglect but a threshold that moves individuals to act on their suspicions. Professional development should focus on some of the fallacies which often influence medical practitioners' decisions.