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, 2001 a). 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. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.