Profile of Children with Child Abuse from Serbia

OBJECTIVE:To study the demographic and clinical profile of children with suspected physical or sexual abuse.METHODS:Retrospective records of children who were admitted to hospital between January, 2015 to December, 2020 with suspected physical or sexual abuse were evaluated.RESULTS:The records of 52 children [mean (SD) age 12.24 (5.32) y, 39 boys] were retrieved. Contusions were the most common injury in 53.8% of boys and 69.2% of girls. The majority (70%) of 8-18 year-old-children were abused by peers, and parents/caregivers were the main perpetrators in 72.7% of younger children.CONCLUSION:Child abuse is often underreported, and requires a high index of suspicion and multidisciplinary approach of management.