Citation

Göransson L, Ekermann S, Dovik C, Klingberg G, Ridell K, Laurell L. Acta Paediatr. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/apa.16328

PMID

35279867

Abstract

AIM: Sweden´s first multidisciplinary children's advocacy centre (CAC) was founded in 2005 as a collaborative practice between child protection services, the legal system and healthcare in response to police-reported child abuse. CACs were introduced in the county of Skåne in 2007. The aim of the study was to describe the health of children investigated at the CAC in Lund, and to examine whether the CAC model of collaboration responded to the healthcare needs of these children.

METHODS: All children aged 0-17 years investigated at the CAC in 2015 were included in this retrospective study. We reviewed the CAC files and the children's medical and dental records from one year prior to, until one year after their assessment at the CAC.

RESULTS: Our review of the medical and dental records (n=298) showed a high prevalence of mental, dental and physical ill health. After the CAC joint meeting only 1% of the children were referred for a medical examination and 4% for a focused forensic evaluation.

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates limitations in the CAC process in responding to extensive health issues of the young victims of crime. We suggest mental, dental and physical health assessments to be statutory in CACs.

Language: en

Keywords

Children’s advocacy centre; core standards of outcome variables; forensic evaluation; healthcare needs; medical examination