Gambaran Pengetahuan Dan Sikap Mahasiswa Kepaniteraan Klinik FKG USU Terhadap Kasus Child Abuse And Neglected

Abstract

Child Abuse and Neglected (CAN) represent a violation of children’s rights, including physical, psychological, sexual violence, and neglect by caregivers. Dentists have clinical, ethical, and legal responsibilities to identify and report suspected cases of child abuse, while clinical clerckship students, as future dentists, are expected to understand this issue before practicing in community. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes of clinical clerkship students at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, toward CAN cases. This was a descriptive-analytic study with a cross-sectional design. Sampling was conducted using a total sampling technique based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected through online questionnaires, and a significance level of 5% (p<0.05) was applied in the analysis. A total of 541 students participated (response rate: 80,38%). The univariate analysis revealed that 454 respondents (83,9%) had a moderate level of knowledge, while 375 respondents (69,3%) demonstrated a good level of attitude. Bivariate analysis using chi-square test showed no significant relationship between knowledge and attitude levels with the duration of clerkship (p=0.916 and 0.345). However, a significant association was found between knowledge and attitudes within each clerkship period (p=0.0000; 0.018; and 0.006). In conclusion, efforts are needed to improve knowledge, particulary regarding non-oral clinical aspects as well as social and legal dimension of CAN.