Australian undergraduate primary school student‐teachers’ responses to child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting

This study aims to understand how primary school teachers, as mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse, are responding to child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting, even though many teachers do not receive a compulsory course in Child Protection and its legal requirements in their pre‐service university training. A cohort of 81 Australian final fourth‐year Bachelor of Education (Primary) student‐teachers was asked about four aspects of it. Qualitative data gathered from these student‐teachers’ questionnaires provide important insights into their knowledge of child sexual abuse; their knowledge of Department of Education policy on it; their professional competence in mandatory reporting of it; and their recommended educational and professional training in it. The results show that all of these student‐teachers feel inadequately prepared to address child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting in schools, being unaware of both knowledge of it and the Department’s policy, even though many recognise the gravity of sexual abuse for the child survivor and the need, and seriousness, of child protection. Finally, these student‐teachers all want better training about these issues during their four‐year degree. In conclusion, these results, and some recommendations, may provide a guide for curriculum planners to design compulsory and appropriate pre‐service university courses to enhance student‐teachers’ knowledge, skills and competencies about child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting.     

Reports of child sexual abuse in the schools

Few studies have examined the problem of child sexual abuse (CSA) as it relates to the role of the school psychologist. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of CSA reports to school psychologists, to examine the perceived quality of service to child victims, and to survey the usage of CSA prevention and screening programs as adjunct services in managing this problem. Of the 171 respondents, 498 child sexual abuse cases were reported. Respondents with prior CSA training rated their performance significantly higher than those without training in handling these cases. Those respondents reporting use of CSA prevention and screening programs generally rated their effectiveness as average or above. The results of this study suggested a need for training of school psychologists in the assessment of child sexual abuse. The results also implicated the use of prevention and screening programs as part of a service delivery program to all students in the public schools.     

Teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about child abuse and its prevention.

In considering the great responsibility placed upon teachers to involve themselves in child abuse prevention, education, and detection, the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse (NCPCA) conducted a nationwide survey of teachers from 40 school districts in 29 randomly selected counties. The survey explores teachers knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about child abuse and its prevention. Five hundred and sixty-eight teachers responded, revealing that while the majority of teachers confront child abuse among their students, they are provided insufficient education on how to address it. Other findings are reported with respect to teachers' reporting behavior, potential barriers to reporting, child assault prevention programs, and corporal punishment in schools.     

Child sexual abuse prevention: Evaluation of a teacher training model

Teachers are potentially helpful resource persons for large numbers of sexually abused children who may have difficulty disclosing abuse, particularly to family members. In the present study, the effectiveness of a 6-hour teacher training workshop on child sexual abuse prevention was evaluated. Responses of 26 female elementary teachers who participated in the workshop were compared to responses of 19 control teachers on several pre-, post-, and follow-up measures. Relative to controls, trained teachers demonstrated significant increases from pre- to post-testing in knowledge about child sexual abuse and pro-prevention opinions. On a post-only vignettes measure, trained teachers were better able than control teachers to identify behavioral indicators of abuse and suggest appropriate interventions for hypothetical sexually abused children. Over a 6-week follow-up period, trained teachers read more about child abuse than control teachers but did not differ on other behavioral dimensions such as reporting suspected abuse cases. Further research will examine the effects of additional teacher training over an extended follow-up period.     

Dealing with the Aftermath of Child Sexual Abuse: A Reflection on Three Case Examples

This paper is based upon three stories which were told by respondents in a study of how survivors, mothers of survivors and teachers of survivors cope in the aftermath of child sexual abuse. These stories relate to interactions in the school or workplace and are discussed within the broader context of existing stereotypes and assumptions about abuse. The paper argues that assumptions about abuse can affect outcomes and can cause distress to others who become involved in dealing with it.     

Dealing with the Aftermath of Child Sexual Abuse: A Reflection on Three Case Examples

This paper is based upon three stories which were told by respondents in a study of how survivors, mothers of survivors and teachers of survivors cope in the aftermath of child sexual abuse. These stories relate to interactions in the school or workplace and are discussed within the broader context of existing stereotypes and assumptions about abuse. The paper argues that assumptions about abuse can affect outcomes and can cause distress to others who become involved in dealing with it.     

Understanding teachers’ pedagogical choice: a sociological framework combining the work of Bourdieu and Giddens

Understanding teachers’ pedagogical choice provides a new insight into the influences on student achievement. This paper presents a sociological framework developed from the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Anthony Giddens that identify the complex social interactions which surround teacher’s work. The framework examines teachers’ potential to act knowledgeably and intentionally and how this action also leads to unintended consequences of those actions. This is important, as both the intentional action and the associated unintended consequences affect the teacher’s classroom practice and the learning of students. Application of the framework to examine the influences on teachers’ pedagogical choice is presented through two school case studies from Victoria, Australia. The environment that encourages teachers to actively review their teaching practice is revealed. It was through reflective collaborative discussions that teachers reviewed their current classroom practices and trial or implement different pedagogies to enhance the learning of young people in their classrooms.     

Evaluation of a school-based sexual abuse prevention program: Cognitive and emotional effects

This study evaluated a school-based child sexual abuse prevention program which consisted of separate 2-hour workshops for children, parents, and teachers. Questionnaires concerning the children's knowledge about sexual abuse prevention and level of emotional distress were developed and administered to 88 children, ages 5-12, and 60 parents before and after the program. In addition, 12 teachers completed questionnaires about the children's level of emotional distress within 2 weeks after the program. Comparison of the children's knowledge before and after the program showed significant increases in knowledge about strategies for coping with potential abuse situations. Also individual children's responses were compared with their parents' responses. After the program the parents had a more accurate appraisal of their children's knowledge, and in addition, there was a significant increase in how much parents reported that they had talked with their children about sexual abuse. In terms of possible adverse emotional effects of the program, neither teachers nor parents noticed signs of increased emotional distress. In addition, the children reported that the program made them feel safer and better able to protect themselves. The findings support the value of providing sexual abuse prevention programs to children.     

Child sexual abuse prevention education: A review of school policy and curriculum provision in Australia

The past four decades have seen increasing public and professional awareness of child sexual abuse. Congruent with public health approaches to prevention, efforts to eliminate child sexual abuse have inspired the emergence of prevention initiatives which can be provided to all children as part of their standard school curriculum. However, relatively little is known about the scope and nature of child sexual abuse prevention efforts in government school systems internationally. This paper assesses and compares the policies and curriculum initiatives in primary (elementary) schools across state and territory Departments of Education in Australia. Using publicly available electronic data, a deductive qualitative content analysis of policy and curriculum documents was undertaken to examine the characteristics of child sexual abuse prevention education in these school systems. It was found that the system-level provision occurs unevenly across state and territory jurisdictions. This results in the potential for substantial inequity in Australian children’s access to learning opportunities in child abuse prevention education as a part of their standard school curriculum. In this research, we have developed a strategy for generating a set of theoretically-sound empirical criteria that may be more extensively applied in comparative research about prevention initiatives internationally.     

Teachers' recognition and reporting of child abuse: a factorial survey

OBJECTIVE: The major aim of this study was to determine the effect of characteristics of the case, the teacher, and the organizational setting on recognition and reporting of child abuse. METHOD: A factorial survey design was employed in which a probability sample of teachers (N = 480) responded to vignettes in which case characteristics were systematically manipulated. RESULTS: Analysis using OLS regression showed that case characteristics alone accounted for 50.30% of the variance in recognition and 51.08% of the variance in reporting: the strongest effects were from type and seriousness of abuse, positive behavior of the victim and positive psychology of the perpetrator. The inclusion of variables describing the teachers and the school explained only a very small additional proportion of the variance in teacher's responses. CONCLUSIONS: Teachers responses to child abuse are relatively unbiased by either the extraneous characteristics of the perpetrator or victim, the responding teacher, or the school setting. The findings do not appear to support the problem of "overreporting." There is evidence for "underreporting," particularly in less serious cases involving physical and emotional abuse. Teachers are undeterred by the many problems and fears that may accompany a report of child abuse to Child Protective Services. Teachers use discretion in reporting abuse they recognize.     

Helping children to the other side of silence: a study of the impact of the stay safe programme on Irish children's disclosures of sexual victimization

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school based safety skills program--The Stay Safe Programme--in facilitating the disclosure of sexual abuse among sexually victimized children and adolescents in Dublin. METHOD: A Cohort of 145 children who had participated in the Stay Safe Programme prior to their referral to a sexual abuse assessment unit were compared with a cohort of 443 children who had not participated in the prevention program on a range of disclosure related variables abstracted from case notes. RESULTS: More Stay Safe participants, particularly female adolescents, made disclosures of suspected sexual abuse than non-participants. A higher rate of initial disclosure to teachers was made by Stay Safe participants and more teachers in schools participating in the Stay Safe Programme initiated referrals for evaluation of suspected child sexual abuse. Following assessment a higher rate of confirmed abuse occurred among Stay Safe participants and for these confirmed cases more Stay Safe participants made purposeful disclosures and in significantly more cases referral was due to the child telling someone about the abuse. These differences in disclosure between program participants and non-participants were unrelated to demographic factors or characteristics of the abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The Stay Safe Programme was an effective secondary prevention intervention deserving widespread implementation.     

Why children tell: a model of children's disclosure of sexual abuse

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated variables associated with delay of disclosure of child sexual abuse and tested a model of time to disclosure. METHOD: Data were obtained for 218 alleged child sexual abuse victims whose cases had been referred to District Attorneys' Offices. Five variables were posited to influence the delay between an abusive event and children's disclosure of that event to a reporting adult: child's age, gender, type of abuse experienced (intrafamilial or extrafamilial), perceived responsibility for the abuse, and fear of negative consequences of disclosure. These variables were used to create a model of factors influencing children's disclosure of sexual abuse. RESULTS: Results indicated that age, type of abuse, fear of negative consequences, and perceived responsibility all contributed to predicting time to disclosure. There was significant support for the model, suggesting that children who were older, came from incestuous families, felt greater responsibility for the abuse, and feared negative consequences of disclosure took longer to disclose. CONCLUSIONS: Children's cognitive appraisal of others' tolerance of disclosure of child sexual abuse, and their own perceptions of responsibility for the abuse, are crucial to the decision to disclose. When evaluating children for possible sexual abuse, developmental, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors need to be taken into consideration.     

Reporting rates of child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities in two Australian jurisdictions

Child sexual abuse is a significant problem in many Indigenous communities; there is also evidence of chronic under-reporting of this crime. This study aimed to compare reporting rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous cases of child sexual abuse across two Australian jurisdictions. Datasets comprising child sexual abuse reports from the Police Information Management Systems of the two jurisdictions were used to calculate reporting rates, and to compare case characteristics and case progression. Results indicated that the reporting rate for child sexual abuse of Indigenous children was between two and four times that of non-Indigenous children. In the Indigenous cases, the second jurisdiction had lower reporting rates than the first jurisdiction. Further analysis of the Indigenous cases only found that cases in the second jurisdiction were more severe, more likely to have a forensic interview, and more likely for the suspect to be charged, than in the first jurisdiction. However, there were no significant differences in conviction rates between the two jurisdictions. Differences observed in severity and case progression suggest that the lower reporting rates observed in the second jurisdiction may be due to comparatively high levels of under-reporting, rather than lower actual levels of child sexual abuse. In conclusion, reporting rates of child sexual abuse can be better understood when further information, such as case characteristics and case progression rates, is available.     

Sexual interest in children,child sexual abuse,and psychological sequelae for children

This article reviews the literature on sexual victimization of minors and the role of school psychologists in assessing and intervening with sexually abused minors. Although estimates of child sexual abuse prevalence differ widely owing to disclosure biases and the definitions that researchers have used in studying it, it is clear that child sexual abuse is a serious public problem. Also troubling is the extent to which “normal” adults, especially males, exhibit sexual interest in children, suggesting that a substantial number may be at risk for victimizing minors; fortunately, a variety of inhibitory mechanisms prevent most adults from committing this crime. Although victims typically suffer from sexual abuse, surprisingly, some evidence suggests that victims of sexual abuse can exhibit neutral or even positive outcomes, a controversial finding that has numerous possible explanations. Tragically, childhood sexual abuse may lead the victim to become an abuser later in life, sometimes while still a minor. We suggest directions for future research. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A model of intervention in child-abusing families: A wider systems view

This paper describes the application of some principles, taken from the modern psychotherapies by a therapeutic team, to the assessment and treatment of serious child abuse. Factors and dilemmas identified from the assessment and decision-making process are outlined, with particular reference to the roles of the various statutory and community agencies involved with such families. The paper demonstrates the ways in which the range of community and professional agencies may play a pathological role, unintentionally contributing to and maintaining child-abusing dynamics in families. The significance of dangerous unintended consequences of well-meaning agency interventions and of covert interagency activities are stressed.     

Opportunities and challenges in screening for childhood sexual abuse

Retrospective studies suggest 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual abuse before 18 years of age, resulting in future morbidity. Successful interventions exist, however, victims are reluctant to disclose. Screening for childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may provide an opportunity to overcome this barrier, yet no current model for universal CSA screening exists. We sought to understand the perspective of key stakeholders on CSA screening through qualitative research. Eight focus groups of 7–10 participants each (n = 62) were conducted from April-September 2016. Stakeholders included school nurses, school teachers, counselors and administrators, pediatric providers, and parents. The interview guide focused on reporting suspected CSA and impressions of a CSA screening tool. Sessions were audiotaped and transcribed. Researchers used qualitative content analysis to develop conceptual categories that related to CSA screening and reporting. Two research team members independently open-coded 20% of the data for interrater reliability (kappa = 0.98) prior to completing the coding process. Three major categories emerged to inform CSA screening. First, early screening (e.g. kindergarten) was preferred. Confidentiality was a concern, specifically privacy in the school-setting. As CSA perpetrators are often known to the child, parental presence in the medical office was also a concern. Finally, refinement of the screening process was discussed starting with routine education on safe touch and defining “normal.” Rather than direct questioning, consistent and repeated offering of opportunities to disclose CSA and identification of a trusted adult were suggested. Next steps should involve partnering with evidence-based CSA prevention programs to incorporate and evaluate the aforementioned elements.     

Examining the utility of a train-the-trainer model for dissemination of sexual violence prevention in schools

Rates of childhood sexual abuse are unacceptably high, with potentially long-lasting consequences for those who have been victimized. Currently, there are a number of sexual violence prevention programs that have been developed to lower rates of victimization, increase awareness, and connect victims with resources. Within this area of research, there has been less focus on effective methods of program dissemination. For example, school-based sexual violence prevention programs have had positive outcomes; however, little is known about how these programs are disseminated. The train-the-trainer model of dissemination utilizes master trainers to equip others to implement programs, thereby allowing more adults to teach and subsequently more children to receive the program. This study used survey data from teachers and other school personnel (n = 127) to analyze the utility of a train-the-trainer model of dissemination for a sexual violence prevention program in the state of Hawai’i. Through responses of people who were trained to implement the program (59.8% of whom did implement), aspects of the training, the program itself, and factors affecting whether a person implemented the program were explored. Results suggest that time spent in training, job position, and time in that position predicted whether a person trained to implement the sexual violence prevention program followed through with teaching the program to students. Additionally, 54.7% of people who did implement the program had at least one student disclose sexual violence to them, indicating the importance of sexual violence prevention programming and dissemination of these programs.     

Teachers' attitudes toward and knowledge of child maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine teachers' self-reported knowledge of the signs and symptoms of child maltreatment, reporting procedures, legal issues surrounding child abuse and their attitudes toward corporal punishment. In addition, a factor analysis was performed on the Educators and Child Abuse Questionnaire (ECAQ) (Kenny, 2001a). METHOD: Two hundred teachers, who work in the southeast region of the US in a large, ethnically diverse school system, were administered the ECAQ which contains questions on knowledge concerning: (1) signs and symptoms of child abuse, (2) laws, and (3) procedures for reporting child abuse as well as number of reports filed. RESULTS: Most teachers reported being unaware of the signs and symptoms of child maltreatment, as well as reporting procedures. They also felt administration would not be supportive and were in disagreement with their legal role as mandated reporters. The ECAQ was found to be a reliable measure with four factors: (1) Awareness of signs and symptoms of child abuse, (2) Knowledge of reporting procedures, (3) Attitudes toward discipline, and (4) Seriousness of child abuse. CONCLUSIONS: In general, teachers reported a lack of awareness of the signs of child abuse and reporting procedures, which may affect their ability to report cases of suspected abuse. There is a need for standardized training in child maltreatment for all teachers as well as clear, concise institutional guidelines for reporting child abuse and support for teachers confronted with suspected victims.     

School-based sexual abuse prevention programs: a review

In response to the alarmingly high incidence and negative consequences of child sexual abuse, an increasing number of school-based prevention programs have appeared in communities across the United States. In this paper, programs which have been implemented in grades K-6 are summarized according to mode and content of presentation, audience and trainer characteristics, and program length. While many creative and entertaining prevention programs are available for children, empirical validation of these programs has lagged behind their actual development and implementation. Several research questions need to be addressed before we can confidently assert that such programs are effective in preventing the sexual exploitation of children. Evaluation efforts must be expanded in order to improve existing materials, obtain funding, and ensure public and professional support for school-based sexual abuse prevention programs.