The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of physical violence against children and adolescents (PVCA) in a 5-year period in the city of Porto, Portugal. All forensic reports between 2009 and 2013 in the clinical services of the North Branch of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and forensic sciences were analyzed. Victims were classified according to sex, age, relationship with perpetrator, traumatic consequences of the event, and year of occurrence. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Version 22.0). Continuous variables were described when appropriated frequencies were displayed. The association between variables was evaluated using chi-square, Fisher's exact test, or Kruskal-Wallis test, when appropriate and a logistic regression was performed. The margin of error for the statistical tests was 5.0%. A total of 2,148 occurrences were evaluated. Most subjects were male, and mean victim age was 13 years. The single most frequent perpetrator was an unknown individual, but most offenders were known to the victim. The majority site of injury was the face. The larger number of complaints of aggression maintained a similar frequency over the 5 years analyzed. A physical examination to confirm the reasons between the complaint and the type of aggression was performed and shown a high relationship. Adolescents were more susceptible to violence than younger children were. The most affected region was the face.

The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of acts of aggression to the head, face and neck towards victims of Physical Violence against Children and Adolescents (PVCA) who were examined at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences Delegation North (INMLCF-DN) in Porto, Portugal. A study was carried out on 2,148 complaints of physical aggression against children and adolescents (0 to less than 18 years old) occurred between 2009 and 2013 and which were retrieved from information about violence held on INMLCF-DN data files. Continuous variables were described and the association between them was verified by Chi-square or Fischer's Exact tests with 5% significance level. Within the 5-year timespan, 1,380 cases were identified with clinical relation with physical aggression. Most subjects evaluated were male adolescents and the most affected body region was the face, to which 747 injuries (24.7%) were recorded, with statistically significant association between sex and region (head and face). Victims in 15-17-year-old age group are more susceptible to violence than those in the 0-14-year-old age range. Dentists routinely examine the face, neck and skull, which make them the most appropriate health professionals to identify cases of aggression early.

In order to reduce injuries and deaths due to traffic accidents, Brazil has improved its legislation, with the normative framework subsidizing educational and inspection actions, aiming to reduce the number of traffic accidents and, consequently, deaths and injuries. In this context, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the requirement regarding use of restraining devices for children from zero to four years of age in reducing traffic accident hospitalizations and deaths in Brazil.To reach its objective, this study analyzed the time series of hospitalizations and deaths of children from zero to four years of age due to traffic accidents from September 2005 to August 2015. Two cuts were applied; first, an analysis was carried out from 2005 and 2015, investigating the occurrence of a change in the time series after the mandatory use of restraining devices, which began in September 2010. After the mandatory use of restraining devices, a statistically significant decrease in hospitalizations and deaths of children from zero to four years of age due to traffic accidents was observed. Subsequently, the study period was divided into two samples, before and after the mandatory use of restraining devices. Confirming the previous results, a decrease in the intercept for hospitalizations and deaths was observed, as well as a decrease in the trend concerning hospitalization discharges, and an increase in the downward death trend after mandatory restraining device use.Thus, this study concludes that the requirement for the use of restraining devices led to a decrease in children hospitalizations and deaths due to traffic accidents in the age group from zero to four years of age, thus indicating the importance of increasing public awareness regarding raising policies and strengthening supervision, so that these results become permanent.