Educational Storytelling, an Innovative Interdisciplinary Program Against Child Maltreatment

Educational Storytelling, an Innovative Interdisciplinary Program Against Child Maltreatment

Educational Storytelling, an Innovative Novel Interdisciplinary Program Against Child Maltreatment, is developed for dental personnel. The program aims at increasing dental personnels ability to detect, report and treat patients being victims of child abuse or neglect.

The objectives of the program is to contribute to the fulfillment of the Norwegian:

• Dental health services act

  §1-3 c The dental health service responsibility to prevent, detect and avert violence and sexual abuse

• Health Personnel act §33 Obligation to report suspected cases of child maltreatment to child welfare services.

The Educational Storytelling program aims to increase the dental health personnels knowledge and competence related to:

• Detecting child abuse and neglect.
• Reporting suspected cases of child maltreatment to child welfare services.
• Treatment of patients with known and unknown history of child abuse and neglect, trauma sensitive dental treatment.

The aim of this trial is to evaluate if the educational program has any effect.

Educational Storytelling, an Innovative Novel Interdisciplinary Program Against Child Maltreatment, is a blended mode learning tool. The program combines a digital platform including documentary film, expert interviews and research findings with on site teaching, group work, reflections and discussions delivered by moderators. The program has a collective focus, contributing to the development of a shared understanding and social norm at the workplace.

The digital program consists of 7 chapters which covers different topics.

1. Introduction.
2. Documentary film, All that I am.
3. The dental health personnels role in detection of child abuse, and neglect.
4. Trauma sensitive treatment.
5. Learn more about trauma.
6. Childrens advocacy center and ethical platform for professionals.
7. Wrapping up.

The chapters include interview with different experts, group work, reflection tasks, research findings and supplementary material.

Each program participant gets an unique access to the digital program for two years.

The programs estimated completion time, including lunch is 7,5 hours. The program gives 6 continuing education credits from the Norwegian dental association (Norsk tannlegeforening) .

The educational program has been developed based on research findings from the public dental health service in Norway, in regard to their experience with detection of child abuse and neglect, reporting to and collaborating with child welfare services.

In order to measure if the program has any effect, a cluster randomized controlled trial has been conducted.

Inclusion Criteria:

Working in the public dental health service in Vestland county

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Exclusion Criteria:

Not working in the public dental health service in Vestland county