| dc.description.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. | en_US |
