Moulage Technique in Child Abuse Recognition

Child abuse is a significant global public health problem and may occur in various forms, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect. Physical abuse in children may manifest through a wide range of clinical findings such as bruises, burns, bite marks, cuts, fractures, and head injuries. Because these findings may sometimes be confused with other medical conditions or accidental injuries, it is critically important for healthcare professionals to accurately recognize signs of physical trauma in order to ensure the early protection of children.

Nurses frequently represent the first point of contact between abused children and the healthcare system and therefore play a key role in identifying trauma-related findings. For this reason, simulation-based educational strategies have gained increasing importance in nursing education to strengthen students' clinical observation and decision-making skills. Among these strategies, moulage is a makeup-based simulation technique that realistically replicates physical trauma findings such as bruises, burns, lacerations, and bite marks. By creating realistic clinical scenarios, moulage allows students to practice recognizing injury patterns and improves their ability to assess potential abuse cases.

Educational simulations using moulage can enhance students' engagement, facilitate experiential learning, and provide opportunities to practice clinical assessment skills in a safe learning environment. Such applications may contribute to improved recognition of trauma-related findings and support the development of professional competencies required for identifying possible child abuse cases.

The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of moulage-based simulation in improving nursing students' ability to recognize physical abuse findings in children. Within this framework, simulated physical abuse findings will be created on a pediatric mannequin using moulage techniques, and students will be asked to conduct a general physical assessment of the child. The effectiveness of this method will be compared with a traditional educational approach based on watching film scenes that include examples of physical abuse indicators.

The study will be conducted within the Child Health and Pediatric Nursing course at a university in Istanbul between December 2025 and February 2026. Students participating in the course will be randomly assigned to either a moulage-based simulation group or a film-based learning group. Following the educational interventions, students' knowledge, attitudes, communication skills, and learning experiences related to child abuse recognition will be evaluated using standardized assessment tools.

This research seeks to determine whether moulage-based simulation provides a more effective learning environment for recognizing signs of physical abuse in children. In addition, the study aims to explore how simulation-based training contributes to students' professional competencies in identifying potential abuse cases and to identify possible challenges encountered during the learning process.

Inclusion criteria

• Agreeing to participate in the study voluntarily
• Having completed the Child Health and Diseases course

Exclusion criteria

• Having received any education or training related to child abuse and neglect other than the Child Health and Diseases course