• X Li, Q Yue, S Wang, H Wang, J Jiang, L Gong, W Liu, X Huang, and T Xu.
• Child Health Care Department, National Center for Women and Children's Health, China CDC, Beijing, China.
• Child Care Health Dev. 2017 Nov 1; 43 (6): 869-875.

BackgroundA new, recently issued national law and regulation in China conferred the responsibility of healthcare professionals in child maltreatment intervention. However, few studies have reported on the recognition and reporting of child maltreatment by healthcare professionals in China. The aim of this study was to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and self-perceived behaviour in terms of identifying, assessing, and reporting child maltreatment cases in China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 877 healthcare professionals from four provinces was conducted using a structured questionnaire.ResultsThe respondents demonstrated insufficient knowledge on identifying potential child maltreatment cases. Over 30% of them were less than confident in the medical examination, evaluation, and treatment of child maltreatment cases, especially with regard to cases involving sexual abuse. Only 3.19% of respondents had ever received training on child maltreatment intervention, and as a result, lack of knowledge with regard to dealing with child maltreatment cases, referral procedures, and regulations was indicated to be the main cause of underreporting.ConclusionsHealthcare professionals in China have insufficient knowledge, skills, and confidence when it comes to dealing with all aspects of child maltreatment. Although participants reported a positive attitude towards their role in detecting and reporting child maltreatment cases, there are obstacles that hinder them from doing so. Appropriate training courses should be developed to empower professionals with knowledge and skills, as well as increase their confidence in dealing with suspected child maltreatment cases.© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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