New handbook aims to help professionals detect child abuse
A free handbook provides practical tools for identifying signs of violence, neglect, and abuse against children – and offers guidance on how professionals can act on concerns.
When a doctor, educator, or health visitor suspects that a child may be subjected to abuse, uncertainty can easily arise: Is there enough reason to act? What is the right way to proceed?
A new Danish handbook, “Suspicion of Child Abuse – A Handbook for Professionals,” is aimed at anyone who works with children and young people.
The book is written by forensic specialist Lise Frost and health visitor Anette Dahl Elgaard, both from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University.
It requires professional courage
“At the Department of Forensic Medicine and in pediatric departments in the Central Denmark Region, we far too often see children who have been subjected to physical and sexual abuse,” says Lise Frost.
“We wish it had been discovered earlier. Some children have been examined by professionals several times, while others have not been seen at all. It is not unusual to stand alone with difficult considerations when you become concerned about a child. It requires both awareness and professional courage to act,” she emphasizes.
Child abuse is often detected late
The publication marks the beginning of a series of training activities in 2026. Lise Frost and Anette Dahl Elgaard will train professionals in emergency departments, casualty wards, and pediatric units – and later in schools, daycare institutions, and municipalities.
The goal is to strengthen the ability to act where concerns arise.
“If professionals are given better tools to detect and respond to signs of abuse, it can have a decisive impact on the lives of children and young people,” says Anette Dahl Elgaard.
The handbook was published in March 2026. It combines professional knowledge with practical tools that can be used directly in working with children and families.
It includes, among other things:
- An overview of signs of physical violence, sexual abuse, and neglect
- Advice on conversations with children and parents
- A review of legislation and the duty to report
- A quick guide to reporting – including in acute situations
- Tools for documentation and interdisciplinary collaboration
It also emphasizes children’s rights and how to involve children respectfully in complex situations.
The publication of the book has been supported by the Victims Fund. The organization Children’s Conditions (Børns Vilkår) has contributed anonymized quotes from children and young people, and a number of professional consultants from the social, health, and legal sectors have provided expert input.
Contact
Specialist in Forensic Medicine Lise Frost
Aarhus University, Department of Forensic Medicine
Phone: +45 22 30 98 44
Email: lif@forens.au.dk
Health Visitor Anette Dahl Elgaardd
Aarhus University, Department of Forensic Medicine
Phone: +45 20 66 91 82
Email: adel@forens.au.dk