CHILD AND ADOLESCENT VIOLENCE: KNOWLEDGE AND CONDUCT OF DENTISTRY STUDENTS IN THE FACE OF SUSPECTED CASES

Abstract

Child and youth abuse constitutes a serious social problem, which involves multiple aspects and causes negative repercussions throughout the life of the victim and family. The present study evaluated the knowledge and conduct of Dentistry students at the State University of Montes Claros (Unimontes) in the face of suspected cases of child and youth violence. It was carried out with 137 students from the 4th to the 10th period of Dentistry, using a virtual questionnaire. It was found that the majority (94%) recognize the main types of abuse, such as physical and psychological violence, neglect, abandonment and sexual abuse and 86.3% stated that they would identify abuse in the clinic based on clinical signs and data from the patient. A considerable portion of participants (50.4%) declared feeling unable to identify cases of violence, mainly due to lack of experience. The orofacial characteristics least associated with victims of violence were caries, periodontal disease and altered tooth color. It is concluded that, although academics have theoretical knowledge about orofacial manifestations and types of violence, in clinical practice, many do not feel able to identify and report cases of abuse and there is still a lack of information on the subject during the graduation