Child maltreatment is defined as any word, act, or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential harm, or threat of harm to a child. It can take the form of abuse (commission) and/or neglect (omission), as the act of maltreatment can be intentional or unintentional (CDC, 2016). The negative consequences of child maltreatment can be profound. It severely impacts multiple aspects of children's physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health, as well as social functioning, cognitive development, and academic achievement. It may also be a direct cause of intentional or unintentional death (Bai et al., 2022; Choe & Yu, 2022; Grummitt et al., 2022; Merrick & Latzman, 2014; Osborne et al., 2022). Children's maltreatment effects can appear during childhood and adolescence and may persist long into adulthood and beyond (Merrick & Latzman, 2014).

Globally, one billion children are affected by abuse and neglect each year; this represents one out of every two children (WHO, 2020). Lifetime prevalence rates of maltreatment vary significantly based on factors such as the type of maltreatment, the child's gender, and geographical location (Cerna-Turoff et al., 2021; Moody et al., 2018). The rates and factors associated with each type of maltreatment (e.g., physical, emotional, sexual) vary significantly across countries, with the highest rates most commonly reported in developing countries in Africa and Asia (Moody et al., 2018).

There is no doubt that ensuring the safety and protection of mistreated children is a critical professional responsibility for educators, social workers, and healthcare professionals. Research findings indicate that healthcare providers frequently demonstrate limited knowledge and competence regarding addressing and reporting procedures for suspected child maltreatment (Alkathiri et al., 2021; Martins-Júnior et al., 2019; Mkonyi et al., 2021; Wolf et al., 2022). Studies also indicate that nurses need improved knowledge levels regarding the identification and reporting procedures of child maltreatment more than other healthcare providers (Alkathiri et al., 2021; Chen & Feng, 2021; Nihan et al., 2021). Negative attitudes among nurses and inadequate knowledge about child maltreatment raise concerns regarding children's natural rights to protection and welfare, as these factors contribute to underreporting of maltreatment (Alkathiri et al., 2021; Chan et al., 2020; Martins-Júnior et al., 2019). However, nurses are uniquely positioned to identify and manage abusive situations involving children due to their frequent interactions with children across diverse healthcare, educational, and public settings. Nurses' core legal, professional, and moral obligations are protecting, recognizing, and taking action against child maltreatment (Gonzalez et al., 2021).

Research has explored the role, nature, and scope of nursing practice in protecting children in non-Arab countries (Kim et al., 2024; Lines, Kakyo, Grant, & Hutton, 2023; Lines, Kakyo, Hutton, & Grant, 2023; Panagopoulou et al., 2023). However, there is a challenge in generalizing these findings to Arab countries with distinct cultural and patriarchal social structures that may influence child maltreatment, such as Jordan. Jordan's child protection laws are being developed, and considerable efforts have been made in recent years to strengthen children's rights. The Jordanian Penal Code criminalizes various forms of child abuse. Laws such as the Child Rights Law (2022) and the Family Violence Protection Act (2017) ensure children's protection from abuse and neglect (Norwegian Refugee Council, 2024). The Child Rights Law mandates reporting of child abuse by service providers, with penalties for non-compliance. While corporal punishment is banned in schools and care settings, it remains culturally accepted in some households, reflecting a gap between legal provisions and cultural practices (End Corporal Punishment, 2024). Jordan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (2006) which prohibits corporal punishment in schools. However, the practical enforcement of these laws, particularly in domestic settings, remains challenging (End Corporal Punishment, 2024; Norwegian Refugee Council, 2024). This highlights the ongoing need for healthcare providers to activate measures better to protect children's rights and the need for improved training and action by healthcare providers in Jordan.

Research in Arab countries, including Jordan, shows that children face various forms of abuse (Al Khatib, 2022; AlFarhan et al., 2022; Al-Saadoon et al., 2021; Neville et al., 2022). In Jordan, national reports reveal that 74.6 % of children aged 8–17 have experienced physical violence (UNICEF, 2021). Notably, there is limited research focusing on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding child maltreatment, and existing studies on nurses' roles in child protection are sparse per a recent review of research on child protection in Jordan (Al Khatib, 2022). However, the existing literature on healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, and their roles, views, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding child maltreatment, is scarce, hindering efforts to guide reform or expand nursing standards in child protection. Only one study has been conducted in Jordan that describes child health nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding child abuse (Khalaf et al., 2006). It suggested that child health nurses in Jordan had average knowledge levels and passive attitudes regarding child maltreatment, which negatively influenced their willingness to get involved in witnessed cases. The study was conducted more than two decades ago, specifically a few years before the announcement of the initial Family Protection Act in 2008, which provided an initial legal framework for vulnerable family members protection, including children, against violence and abuse (Norwegian Refugee Council, 2024). Awareness and practices among Jordanian nurses regarding child maltreatment might have changed during this time.

Given the insufficient evidence and the importance of protecting children through multidisciplinary approaches, further nationally representative research regarding nurses' knowledge and attitudes about child maltreatment is needed. The present study is critical to helping nurse educators, researchers, and policymakers inform goals and strategies for better nurse involvement in children's protection. This study aims to describe nurses' knowledge and attitudes and examine their determining factors in managing child maltreatment among nurses in primary and acute children's care settings.