Dentists to be Offered Training in Spotting Signs of Child Abuse
Dentists are to be offered training in spotting signs of child abuse in a bid to prevent people from slipping through the net. Dentists will be trained in identifying warning signs as part of a programme run by the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC).
Research carried out by NAPAC suggests that for many people, going to the dentist can trigger memories of negative experiences and abuse in the past. Experts also believe that many young people would have shared their experiences if they were offered help during their childhood years.
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, Sarah Parnell, NAPAC’s training director, said that for many people who have been abused it is difficult to talk about the past. However this doesn’t mean they don’t want to talk about it and seek advice. Training sessions run by NAPAC are designed to provide professionals with knowledge and advice to help provide victims of abuse with a platform to speak out and share their stories, ask about abuse sensitively and cope with the difficult and distressing nature of the tales they may be told.
In addition to dentists, housing professionals will also be offered training and the first sessions will be available in the coming weeks.
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