At her center, the staff tries to make the reporting call with the parent present, Ms. McAlister Groves said.
▸ What to do when the child tells about violence in the home. When a child tells his doctor about violence in the home, the recommendation is that the physician gets as much information as possible and then tells the nonabusing parent that she knows. Since the child could get in trouble, the physician needs to explain to the parent that the child simply is doing what he thinks is right.
▸ Know when to refer. The definitive time to refer a patient for more expert help is when the child has symptoms from the violence that have persisted more than 3 months (1 month in young children), when the trauma was particularly violent or injurious, when the caretaker is unable to be empathic and attuned to the child's needs, or when the nonabusive caretaker is in danger.