NCJ Number
188939
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2001 Pages: 81-92
Date Published
January 2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A survey of 197 teachers from 40 schools in a large city in the southeast sought to determine the number of reports of child abuse made by the teachers, their knowledge of child abuse laws and reporting procedures, their perceptions of deterrents to reporting, gender or ethnic differences in reporting, and teachers’ responses to case vignettes.
Abstract
The questionnaire focused on demographic information, knowledge of child abuse laws and procedures, and two scenarios of legally reported child abuse. Results revealed that the participants included 158 females and 39 males. Seventy-three percent of the participants reported that they had never made a report of child abuse. Those who had made reports made an average of one report. Only 11 percent of teachers reported that they failed to report a situation in which they believed that abuse might have occurred. These teachers believed that their pre-service and post-service training did not adequately prepare them for child abuse reporting. The most common reasons cited for not reporting abuse were fear of making an inaccurate report, feeling as though child protective services do not help families, and a lack of apparent physical signs of abuse. Results revealed no gender differences in reporting. In addition, teachers’ responses to case vignettes were not consistent with their previous reports. The analysis concluded that teachers need more training to address their perceived deterrents to reporting and to help them feel more confident in making reports of child abuse. Tables and 17 references