Teen Nephew Gets Into a Fight at School
Sometimes when our nieces and nephews
are left in our care, stuff happens. They get sick, they get hurt, and
issues of concern arise. The following are hypothetical questions that
might occur while you are taking care of the kids. Dr. Stephanie’s
responses should be read for informational and educational purposes
only. While Dr. Stephanie is a real pediatrician, we strongly urge you
to seek professional medical advice from your health care provider when
a real health concern happens. And in case of emergency, call 911!
My little rough and tumble teenage nephew got into a fight with some boys at school and came to my place instead of his parents' house because he doesn’t want them to punish him. He’s all battered and bruised and he says his stomach is killing him. What can I do?
Teenagers have a right to have a private consultation with their doctor or the pediatric emergency room. This is to encourage more adolescents to seek care, even if they are afraid to. The doctor must keep things private from the parents, unless the physician is concerned the teenager may hurt himself or others. That is the only reason why a physician can break this confidentiality. I would encourage your nephew to seek emergency treatment as he could have significant abdominal trauma and could get very ill. Let him know he can tell the doctors anything and his parents won’t find out.