Child Protection Competencies in Medical Education.

Background

Child maltreatment is a major global public health concern with severe physical, psychological, and developmental consequences. Physicians across many medical specialties may encounter affected children, making child protection an important component of medical education. However, many medical students and early-career physicians feel insufficiently prepared to recognize and manage suspected cases.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey using self-developed questions among medical students at the University of Münster (September-November 2025). The survey assessed experiences with child protection, perceived preparedness, and preferences regarding curricular content and teaching formats. Of the 376 respondents, we analyzed 323 complete responses (11.4 % of enrolled students). Via descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and MANOVA, we examined differences across academic years.

Results

Students strongly supported integrating child protection as a mandatory standalone course (92.3 %). Preferred teaching formats were communication training (88 %), simulations (83.3 %), and case-based discussions (82 %). Many students reported uncertainty in handling suspected cases, particularly regarding communication with affected children and caregivers (84.8 %) and legal aspects (80.2 %). Perceived preparedness increased significantly with academic progression (p < .001).

Conclusions

Medical students demonstrate a strong interest in structured child protection education. Practice-oriented and interdisciplinary teaching approaches may strengthen competencies required to recognize and manage suspected child maltreatment.