The article presents the physical and emotional effects of domestic violence on children, with particular emphasis on the dental context. Specific definitions of violence and violence in the family as well as possible types and forms of violence against children are given. The epidemiology of the phenomenon of abuse in Poland is presented. Based on the literature analyzed and our own observations, the characteristic damage that result from the use of violence against children is described. In addition, the article includes a description of guardian abuser attitudes to an abused child, which can be observed in a medical office. The article specifies the emotional consequences of abuse both in childhood and in the later life of victims of violence. The diagnostic criteria for psychological and psychopathological consequences of maltreatment are included. The specificity of dental work in the context of the ability to detect abuse was characterized. We have shown how injuries should be described in medical records if there is a suspicion that they arose as a result of violence. Situations in which the doctor and the dentist are required to submit a notice to a prosecutor's office on suspicion of violence against a young patient are defined.

Key words: child abuse, domestic violence, dentist.