Child abuse and maltreatment is not limited to a particular age. It can occur in the infant/toddler (1 month-3 years of age), preschool (3-5 years of age), school-age (5-11 years of age), and adolescent (12-18 years of age) age groups. Choose one of the four age groups and outline the types of abuse most commonly seen among children of that age. Describe warning signs and physical and emotional assessment findings the nurse may see that could indicate child abuse. Discuss cultural variations of health practices that can be misidentified as child abuse. Describe the reporting mechanism in your state and nurse responsibilities related to the reporting of suspected child abuse. Identify two factors that increase the vulnerability of a child for abuse in the age group you have selected.

Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education

This assignment aligns to AACN Core Competency 9.1.