NCJ Number
224322
Journal
Journal of Psychological Trauma Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: 2008 Pages: 91-103
Date Published
2008
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article describes and presents the results of a preliminary evaluation for the Child Abuse School Liaison (CASL) program, which aims to provide secondary prevention of child abuse through the education of teachers and other school personnel about how to respond to and report suspicions of child abuse.
Abstract
The preliminary evaluation results show that the CASL program is a valued and useful secondary prevention program at the initial evaluation levels of trainee reaction and learning. The in-service training is associated with high levels of trainee satisfaction and increased knowledge about child maltreatment and mandated reporting laws, which can aid in identifying abused children in need of intervention and services. Participants were 218 educators working in the tri-county area (Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley) of South Carolina. The educators included teachers, nurses, administrators, guidance counselors, and teacher assistants. Participating schools represented all educational levels from preschool to high school, and included both public and private institutions. The evaluation includes a measure of satisfaction with the training and a measure of knowledge gained from the training. The core objectives of the CASL program are to increase educators’ knowledge about child abuse prevalence and risk factors, improve their abilities to recognize signs of child abuse and neglect, learn appropriate responses to child abuse disclosures, and increase willingness and ability to report suspected abuse as required by law. The program consists of an in-person 60-minute workshop and ongoing access to a school liaison who provides consultation between the school and other victim-serving agencies regarding allegations of abuse. 1 table and 27 references