A 7-year-old who fell from a bike says, "I am fine," but holds an arm and winces. The child fears being punished for breaking a rule. Which consideration should guide the nurse?

1. 1Children at this age always report pain accurately
2. 2Children may deny symptoms when they fear getting in trouble
3. 3Denial of symptoms means the pain is mild
4. 4Children at this age cannot describe their symptoms

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Nursing Care for Infancy Through Adolescence: Kohlberg’s Moral Development. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.