NCJ Number
136529
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (1992) Pages: 229-238
Date Published
1992
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Over 560 teachers, representing 40 school districts in 29 randomly selected counties, responded to a survey conducted by the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse (NCPCA) regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about child abuse and its prevention.
Abstract
The results showed that, while the number of child abuse reports is increasing and most teachers have confronted cases of child abuse among their students, there still remain major shortcomings in the training and support available to teachers with respect to child abuse reporting and prevention. Over 60 percent of the teachers cited fear of legal liability for false allegations as a barrier to reporting. Many teachers were not well informed of school district policies concerning child abuse reporting. However, most of the teachers did view child assault prevention programs as effective and were willing to implement such programs in their classrooms. Finally, the survey found that teachers did not see corporal punishment as a high priority issue. Ongoing teacher training programs should cover the identification of child abuse, school procedures for fulfilling State reporting requirements, methods of supporting maltreated children and their families, and available child assault prevention curricula. 4 tables and 31 references (Author abstract modified)