Teachers' Knowledge and Beliefs About Child Sexual Abuse

The Role of Gender Stereotypes, Sexual Myths, and Professional Experience on the Attitudes Toward Female-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse Among Turkish Professionals

Studies indicated that people tend to consider female-perpetrated sexual abuse (FPSA) less serious and damaging than male-perpetrated abuse (MPSA) and the possible roles of gender stereotypes on attitudes to minimize FPSA. This study aimed to explore the role of gender stereotypes and sexuality myths on the attitudes toward FPSA among professionals. A secondary aim was to explore the role of training and experience with child sexual abuse (CSA) cases on the attitudes toward FPSA. The sample consisted of Turkish professionals (N = 502), including mental health/social, health, and justice workers. The participants were recruited via a face-to-face online survey. The results of one-way ANOVAs showed that females and mental health/social workers were more likely to consider FPSA as a serious problem and believe the negative impact of abuse. A five-step hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the experience with FPSA cases, belief in gender stereotypes, and myths about female sexuality accounted for 21.7% of the variance in the attitudes toward FPSA. Although the level of professional minimization of FPSA is above average, the influential roles of gender stereotypes and sexual myths on the attitudes toward FPSA exist among professionals. Our findings supported the necessity of additional training addressing gender stereotypes and sexual myths. Future studies should also be conducted with different populations and other influential possible factors on the attitudes toward FPSA.

"Pay Attention! Pay Attention! Pay Attention!!!": The Pivotal Role of Educators and the Educational System as Experienced by Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Educational institutions and educators are significant in children's lives, and they have a crucial role in implementing policies, practices, and sexual education to enhance children's safety. Such policies and practices should be based on the voices of CSA survivors. This study explored child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors' viewpoints on their past experiences with educators and the educational system. A qualitative thematic approach was used to analyze 61 written testimonies collected in 2020-2021 by the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA. Two interrelated themes arose: (1) CSA survivors' retrospective perspectives of educators and the educational system's responses to signs of their CSA, described as ranging from abusive to life-saving. Specifically, they shared three types of responses: (a) harmful and hurtful; (b) dismissive and ignoring; and (c) accepting and attending. (2) The second theme described the survivors' messages to educators to promote constructive change. The survivors conveyed expectations that educators should play a central role in CSA prevention, detection, and intervention and, specifically, the need for educators to receive professional training, provide beneficial sexual education, and identify and respond to CSA. The findings promoted moving beyond individual-level interventions to focus on improving educational institutional and organizational cultures related to CSA in both national and international contexts.

'A kindergarten teacher must have 100 eyes and 100 ears!': Kindergarten teachers' experiences coping with child sexual abuse and problematic sexual behavior

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) and problematic sexual behavior (PSB) are worldwide phenomena that occur across all ages. Kindergarten teachers' proactive involvement can be crucial to the prevention, disclosure and intervention of CSA and PSB. However, research on their experiences of contending with CSA and PSB remains limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines kindergarten teachers' experiences in Israel with the CSA and PSB of their students.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 teachers: 11 secular Jewish, seven religious Jewish, nine Druze Arab, and four Muslim Arab.

METHODS

A qualitative analysis was conducted using the interview transcripts as data.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed three themes illustrating teachers' professional transformations regarding their knowledge of these phenomena: 1) initial shock, uncertainty and sense of responsibility when exposed to CSA and PSB due to missing knowledge, 2) implementation of prevention and intervention strategies regarding CSA and PSB, and 3) embracing a social role to disseminate CSA and PSB knowledge. The findings indicated that the majority of the teachers went from overwhelming shock and fear due to a lack of knowledge in coping with CSA and PSB to a sense of responsibility as a community leader.

CONCLUSIONS

The fragmentation of the Israeli education system isolates kindergartens, and the lack of training and education for the teachers left them alone when contending with the CSA and PSB of their students. Nevertheless, the participants exhibited remarkable agency and resourcefulness, gaining the necessary knowledge and acting as knowledge agents within their communities.

"We Try to Fix Things Quietly, and We Do Not Take Revenge": Christian Arab Teachers' Experiences Coping with Child Sexual Abuse Among Their Pupils in Israel

Teachers are at the frontlines of the fight to identify and cope with child sexual abuse (CSA) among their pupils. Their methods of coping with CSA cases, both personally and professionally, are strongly influenced by their socio-cultural contexts and religious beliefs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the experiences of Christian Arab teachers in Israel coping with the CSA of their pupils. Twelve Christian Arab elementary school teachers in Israel were recruited for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a qualitative thematic analysis was employed based on a descriptive phenomenological-psychological approach. Two key themes emerged from the analysis: (a) The teachers' intense emotional reactions regarding the CSA of their students and the empowerment some found in handling such difficult situations, and (b) The teachers' Christian beliefs and identity strongly affected their understanding of CSA and their approach to intervention. The findings indicated the dialectical position of the teachers' religio-cultural context, particularly the duality of the Christian value of forgiveness, a powerful resource for their coping, yet with adverse implications for children's vulnerability. This unique risk should inform training teachers regarding CSA matters. Teachers must also have systems that support them and allow them to reflectively examine their coping styles.

Adaptation of the Child sexual abuse myth scale to Turkish culture: A reliability and validity study

This study aims to analyze the reliability and validity of the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale (CSAMS) in Turkish society. This methodological and cross-sectional study was conducted with 334 individuals between the ages 19 to 65. Data were collected through the Personal Information Form and the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale. Content Validity Ratio values of the scale items in the study ranged between 0.500 and 1.00, and the Content Validity Index was found to be 0.68. Exploratory Factor Analysis was appropriate based on Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO = 0.809) and Barlett's Test of Sphericity (X2 = 1269, p < 0.001). Factor Analysis resulted in 4 sub-scales (Accusation, Causality, Normalization, and Sexist Approach). Item factor loads of the scale were found to range between 0.501 and 0.839, and the total explained variance was 59.4 %. Pearson correlation coefficients of all the items ranged between 0.32 and 0.60, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.81. Accusation, Normalization, and Sexist Approach sub-scale scores were found to increase with age. Sub-scale scores were found to demonstrate significant differences by gender, marital status, education level, working or not, income level, family type, number of siblings, and number of children (p < 0.05). The findings of this study show that the CSAMS is valid and reliable for Turkish culture in its 14-item and 4 sub-scale form.

How to prepare for conversations with children about suspicions of sexual abuse? Evaluation of an interactive virtual reality training for student teachers

BACKGROUND

Training for child interviewing in case of suspected (sexual) abuse must include ongoing practice, expert feedback and performance evaluation. Computer-based interview simulations including these components have shown efficacy in promoting open-ended questioning skills.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated ViContact, a training program for childcare professionals on conversations with children in case of suspected abuse.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

110 student teachers were divided into four groups and took part either in a two-hour virtual reality training through verbal interaction with virtual children, followed by automated, personalized feedback (VR), two days of online seminar training on conversation skills, related knowledge and action strategies (ST), a combination of both (ST + VR), or no training (control group, CG).

METHODS

We conducted a pre-registered, randomized-controlled evaluation study. Pre-post changes on three behavioral outcomes in the VR conversations and two questionnaire scores (self-efficacy and - undesirable - naïve confidence in one's own judgment of an abuse suspicion) were analyzed via mixed ANOVA interaction effects.

RESULTS

Combined training vs. CG led to improvements in the proportion of recommended questions (ηp2 = 0.75), supportive utterances (ηp2 = 0.36), and self-efficacy (ηp2 = 0.77; all ps < .001). Both interventions alone improved the proportion of recommended questions (VR: ηp2 = 0.67, ST: ηp2 = 0.68, ps < .001) and self-efficacy (VR: ηp2 = 0.24, ST: ηp2 = 0.65, ps < .001), but not supportive utterances (VR: ηp2 = 0.10, ST: ηp2 = 0.13, both n. s.).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of VR and ST proved most beneficial. Thus, VR exercises should not replace, but rather complement classical training approaches.

Sex Stereotypes and Child Physical Abuse: Mediating Effects of Attitudes on Beliefs about Consequences for Abusive Parents

We hypothesized that (a) sex stereotypes would influence individuals' attitudes toward and beliefs about physically abusive parents and (b) these attitudes would mediate the connection between sex stereotypes and beliefs. Participants read one of four scenarios in which (a) sex of parents and sex of children were systematically varied while (b) holding constant the actions of parents and children as well as surrounding circumstances. Participants then expressed their attitudes about those parents and their beliefs about appropriate consequences for these parents. As expected, participants held more unfavorable attitudes about fathers than mothers and believed lenient consequences were more appropriate for mothers than fathers. Moreover, the linkage between parents' sex and participants' beliefs was mediated by participants' attitudes such that the effects of sex stereotypes on beliefs were all indirect rather than direct. Limitations (e.g., cross-sectional design, sample representativeness) and future directions (e.g., alternative parental and child behaviors, individual differences as moderators) are discussed.

Educational interventions for promoting sexual and reproductive health in school counselors: a three-arm, randomized control trial comparing lecturing, buzz group and role-play

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

School-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education is often reported as being inadequate and/or inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the educational interventions for promoting SRH in school counselors and compare the results in three groups: lecturing, buzz group and role-play.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An intervention quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the usefulness of educating SRH topics by using interactive teaching methods for 120 school counselors. Changes in the participants' knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy toward SRH education were evaluated by each group using a pretest and a posttest.

RESULTS

The results of this study revealed that 75% of counselors deemed SRH training vital and felt that the best SRH educators are health care providers and the reason might be their lack of educational skills. They also stated that the most significant barriers to education in schools include concerns about parental feedback and lack of appropriate abilities.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that the use of all three methods (lecturing, buzz groups and role-play) in SRH training improves the level of knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy; although role-play could have been more effective than lecturing in improving counselors' knowledge.

Child sexual abuse prevention: A qualitative study of teachers' educational needs

Background

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has emerged as a global concern, particularly affecting children in Indonesia. However, there remains a scarcity of research on CSA within the Indonesian context.Objective: This study aimed to explore the educational needs of primary school teachers in preventing child sexual abuse.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive study design was employed, with eight teachers and school principals selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through focus group discussions and analyzed using content analysis.

Results

Six categories emerged: 1) The risk of sexual abuse, 2) The necessity for clear CSA preventive regulations and sanctions for abusers, 3) Lack of CSA program socialization, 4) The need for structured CSA prevention education for children, 5) The importance of effective coordination with various relevant stakeholders, and 6) The presence of barriers and obstacles.

Conclusion

This study provides valuable insights into the educational prerequisites for teachers to implement CSA prevention measures effectively. The findings emphasize the pressing need for school teachers to develop and implement CSA prevention programs, with the government's and nursing professionals' support, to enhance educators' abilities in combating CSA. Nurses have a pivotal role in preventing and addressing child sexual abuse, and they should actively contribute to improving child safety and well-being through knowledge, collaboration, and advocacy for comprehensive prevention strategies.

The public's knowledge about child sexual abuse influences its perceptions of prevention and associated policies

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention requires efforts from all members of society.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to examine factors associated with (1) perceptions of CSA as unpreventable and (2) support for policies to prevent CSA and to punish people who perpetrated CSA. We focused on the roles of knowledge and misperceptions about child sexual abuse.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

We collected survey data online from a large (N = 5068), nationally representative sample of adults in the United States.

RESULTS

Analyses revealed factors promoting perceptions of CSA as unpreventable. Support for or against policies that aim to prevent CSA or to punish perpetrators of CSA were associated with individual factors such as older age (B = 0.08, -0.13), Republican political affiliation (B = 0.10, 0.07), and misperceptions about CSA (B = 0.15, 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight malleable factors that could be targeted to collectivize calls for CSA prevention and to promote support for effective policies to prevent CSA. In particular, ensuring accurate knowledge about CSA, and collective responsibility and government efficacy specific to CSA prevention, were identified as helping shape views of CSA as preventable.

"I have a special prayer 'O Lord, open my lips'": Experiences of ultra-Orthodox educators after their students' disclosures of sexual abuse

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a large-scale, worldwide phenomenon. However, research on educators' experiences with CSA in specific social, cultural or religious contexts is limited.

OBJECTIVE

The current study is part of a larger qualitative research project examining Israeli educators' coping with CSA of their students in diverse cultural contexts. This study focused on Jewish ultra-Orthodox educators' perceptions and experiences of CSA disclosure and its impact on their professional and personal lives. Their perceptions of belonging to the ultra-Orthodox community were also explored.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted with 28 ultra-Orthodox educators and analyzed using a thematic approach.

RESULTS

The ultra-Orthodox educators perceived their roles on a continuum, from not being responsible to being fully responsible. They perceived the abused children as having negative behavior or as victims who deserved protection. Their personal lives were deeply affected, impacted by fear, disassociation or devotion to the mission of caring for these children. Finally, educators perceived the ultra-Orthodox community as fragile regarding CSA disclosure and emphasized the importance of encouraging culturally adaptive ways to conceptualize and address CSA.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of ultra-Orthodox educators in identifying CSA and leading interventions. It also raises the need for training to combine reflective, cultural-based practice and support for the educator to maintain their wellbeing. Despite this community's uniqueness, the current findings may be relevant to professionals and policymakers regarding other closed and religious communities and diverse educational settings confronting CSA.

Crenças de Professores sobre Violência Sexual contra Crianças e Adolescentes

Resumo Objetivou-se investigar as crenças de professores acerca da violência sexual contra crianças e adolescentes. Uma amostra de 164 professores de ensino fundamental e médio, de escolas públicas e privadas, respondeu a um questionário sociodemográfico e a Escala de Crenças sobre Abuso Sexual (ECAS). Análises descritivas, de frequência, testes U de Mann-Whitney e teste de Kruskall-Wallis foram realizados. O escore médio da ECAS, nessa amostra, foi de 25,74 (DP = 6,83), indicando uma tendência à discordância e neutralidade à tolerância/legitimação. Ao se comparar grupos, as variáveis gênero, faixa etária e presença de filhos mostraram ter influência sob as crenças. A experiência com casos de suspeita, participação em cursos ou palestras e conhecimento do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente não apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas em relação às crenças. Tais resultados foram discutidos a partir de considerações sobre gênero, sexualidade, capacitação profissional e características de crenças. É necessário investimento em estratégias de formação continuada, sendo que devem ser sensíveis às características dos participantes e às suas crenças.

How can school help victims of violence? Evaluation of online training for European schools’ staff from a multidisciplinary approach

The interventions used to prevent or treat violence against children, particularly sexual abuse, tend to only consider the target audience as their main source of data. We tested the effect of an online training for school staff members in Europe through three studies. In Study I, we interviewed 5 adult women (Mage = 49.2, SD = 5.81) who were victims of sexual abuse during childhood to assess what school could have done during that time to protect them. Through Study II, we collected data on 66 school staff members to assess feasibility (based on quantitative indicators) and to explore the changes they would make to their everyday practice due to the training course (using qualitative analysis). In Study III, we used network analysis to assess to what extent the actions described by school staff in Study II met the needs expressed by the victims in Study I. Findings of Study I revealed new proposals from the victims’ perspective, such as working with the perpetrators. Study II showed the feasibility of training and identified five types of action that school staff members will include in their everyday working dynamics due to the training: detection (e.g., Greater attention to relationships with peers), reporting (e.g., Now I know that suspecting a case of child abuse is enough to report), everyday practices (e.g., Introducing a calming space), changes at school level (e.g., Propose the training course to the school management team) or practices that could belong to more than one category (e.g., Greater awareness of the activities undertaken by the school). Study III provided evidence that some of these changes (e.g., reporting without looking for proof) were in line with some of the victims’ expectations (e.g., listen to the children). We also identified gaps that need to be further developed.

School principals coping with child sexual abuse in their schools

BACKGROUND

Schools serve a central role in prevention, disclosure and intervention in cases of child sexual abuse (CSA). As school principals often face CSA cases in their daily work, they may hold the key to making social change on this front. However, research on principals' experiences of contending with CSA remains limited.

OBJECTIVE

The current study is part of a larger qualitative research project examining various Israeli educators' coping with CSA among their students in diverse cultural contexts. In this study, we specifically focused on principals. The research questions were: (1) What are the unique ways in which school principals cope with cases of CSA during their course of daily work? (2) Do their cultural contexts and cultural affiliations shape their coping, and if so, how?

METHODS

In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 principals from multiple cultural groups (secular, religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Arab-Muslims), which were analyzed using a thematic approach.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that principals demonstrate three types of coping strategies in response to encounters with CSA in the course of their work: they may act as "navigators" (exclusively responsible); "sharers" (rely on teamwork); or "balancers" (negotiating between cultural and legal demands). Furthermore, two contextual factors affected their construction of coping: ongoing professional experience in cases of CSA and personal experiences, including being a CSA survivor.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of principals in identifying and leading interventions for CSA cases. It also raises the need for training to combine reflective, experience-based practice alongside evidence-informed practice.

What Do We Know About Child Sexual Abuse? Myths and Truths in Spain

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a terrible type of maltreatment that can have serious physical and psychological consequences for victims. These consequences include shame and are often taboo in conversation, which makes CSA very difficult to see. Therefore, multiple myths exist about CSA that can lead to misperceptions regarding issues such as its context, prevalence, and consequences. What is unknown cannot be addressed; therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate Spanish participants' knowledge about CSA as well as examine gender and educational level differences. A 10-item questionnaire comprising myths and truths about CSA was developed, taking into account existing literature. Participants (N = 1,540) had to rate their level of agreement with the statements. Some important aspects of CSA remain unclear, particularly in terms of the background of the victims (e.g., gender, educational level, CSA prevalence). Significant differences in the perception of CSA between men and women and among those with various educational levels were found: Men and people with lower levels of education held more myths about CSA. In conclusion, better knowledge about CSA is needed to get people involved in its prevention. We must consider the myths and truths about CSA when designing prevention programs and tailor educational programs to the target population.

Capacity, confidence and training of Canadian educators and school staff to recognize and respond to sexual abuse and internet exploitation of their students

BACKGROUND

Sexual exploitation of children online is an issue of growing public concern. This form of exploitation typically involves adults using the internet to communicate with children for sexual purposes or to distribute sexually explicit material involving children. To date, there is no research on the knowledge and skills of educators to recognize online sexual exploitation. This research is urgently needed since educators are well-positioned to detect, identify and report sexual exploitation of their students.

OBJECTIVE

The study was conducted to understand the confidence and capacity of grade school educators to recognize and respond to online child sexual exploitation.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This cross-sectional study surveyed 450 educators in Alberta, Canada between April and December 2018.

METHODS

Vignettes were used to obtain experiences and attitudes surrounding four categories of exploitation or abuse: grooming, luring, sexual abuse, and sexual abuse imagery (also known as child pornography).

RESULTS

Among school district staff, 28 % reported working with a student affected by sexual abuse in the last year, as compared to 25 % for grooming, 17 % for luring and 14 % for sexual abuse imagery. A minority of respondents expressed confidence in their ability to recognize if the internet was being employed for grooming (35 % of staff), luring (46 %) or sexual abuse (45 %) of their students.

CONCLUSIONS

Educators encounter issues of online sexual exploitation of their students almost as often as contact sexual abuse. Child protection efforts in schools should be modernized to incorporate training in online safety of children and adolescents.

Detection and reporting potential child and youth victimization cases from school: The role of knowledge

Knowledge of child victimization among school staff is believed to affect the detection and reporting of potential cases in the school environment, but the current evidence is scarce and contradictory. We assessed the link between knowledge of victimization and other relevant reporter characteristics in detecting and reporting children suspected to be victims of violence in a sample of 184 school staff members from Spain (84.02% females, M = 43.40, SD = 10.37). We compared participants who had never detected nor reported any cases (i.e., non-detectors) with participants who had detected but not reported outside school (i.e., inconsistent reporters) and participants who had detected and reported at least one potential case (i.e., consistent reporters). Knowledge about the reporting procedures varied significantly across groups. Years of experience was the only variable to significantly predict having detected at least one case across job experience. Knowing whether a report can be made anonymously or without the principal's consent was significant to predict the likelihood of being a consistent reporter, along with hours spent daily in contact with students. Trainings for school staff should be aware of what specific aspects of knowledge tend to increase detection and reporting. Interventions should include more specific guidelines and ways of recreating experience (e.g., role-playing, virtual scenarios) as an effective strategy to respond to cases of potential victimization encountered at school.

Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale: Validity and Reliability Evidence in the Portuguese Context

Child sexual abuse myths legitimize abusive behaviors, involving high levels of victim blame and low levels of offender liability. The present study aims to: (i) adapt a measure of endorsement of child sexual abuse myths to the Portuguese context (i.e., Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale - CSAMS); and (ii) provide validity and reliability evidence for this measure. A total of 423 adults (66.2% female) filled out a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, and the CSAMS. The CSAMS validity and reliability results supported the original structure, which comprises three dimensions: Blame Diffusion (e.g., 'Adolescent girls who wear very revealing clothing are asking to be sexually abused'), Restrictive Stereotypes (e.g., 'Most children are sexually abused by strangers or by men who are not well known to the child'), and Denial of Abusiveness (e.g., 'Older children, who have a better understanding of sexual matters, have a responsibility to actively resist sexual advances by adults'). Configural and metric invariance by sex were held, and criterion validity was observed through significant associations between myths, sexism and sex. This study provided evidence in support of the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale.

Student Knowledge Gain Following the Second Step Child Protection Unit: the Influence of Treatment Integrity

Treatment integrity is an important yet understudied component of school-based prevention programming, particularly for sensitive topics such as child sexual abuse prevention (CSA). This study examined student- and teacher-level characteristics, including components of treatment integrity, that contributed to greater knowledge gain among students participating in the Second Step Child Protection Unit (CPU). The study was conducted with 1132 students and 57 teachers from four elementary schools enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of the CPU. Students were administered assessments at pre-test, post-test, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. Teachers were observed and rated on Content Integrity (CI; adherence to content), Process Integrity (PI; teacher enthusiasm, encouragement, behavior management), and Dose Received (DR; student behavior and interest) when delivering the lessons. Hierarchical linear growth modeling indicated that students who received the CPU made gains in the knowledge of CSA concepts and skills over a 12-month follow-up period. Girls had significantly greater CSA knowledge than boys immediately after the intervention, with gender remaining significant even when accounting for level-3 variables. Older children had better knowledge scores at post-test, but growth over time results revealed that younger students made greater gains. For students in 2nd through 4th grade, CI was more important for post-test outcomes, while for all students, CI and grade taught were important to post-test scores. Teachers of lower grades had students with a faster growth rate on correct responses to vignettes. Implications for CSA prevention programming and future research are discussed.

Children's Knowledge and Skills Related to Self-Protection from Sexual Abuse in Central Java Indonesia

The research aimed at assessing Muhammadiyah Elementary Schools' children's knowledge and skill in protecting themselves from CSA by analyzing them based on gender. It applied a quantitative method with descriptive statistical and inferential analysis designs. The samples amounted to 301 fifth-grade students from 10 Muhammadiyah Elementary Schools in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. They were asked to complete the questionnaires of the "What If" Situation Test (WIST-III), adapted to an Indonesian context. When testing comprehension of touching situations, it was found that less than half of the respondents could identify appropriate touching situations (42%, M = 1.99, SD = ±1.04). There was a significant difference in the appropriate touching situation between males (M = 2.26, SD = ±1.9) and females (M = 1.76, SD = ±1.09). However, the ability to tell someone about the sexual abuse incident was very low, and a significant difference was found between females (p = .029, M = 1.7, SD = ± 2.3) and males (p = .029, M = 1.55, SD = ± 2.11). Only two per cent of the children achieved the maximum skills score. A CSA preventive program must be focused on building and developing children with regards to the skills to protect themselves from CSA by referring to cultural and Islamic values.

Teacher Outcomes from the Second Step Child Protection Unit: Moderating Roles of Prior Preparedness, and Treatment Acceptability

Teachers play a critical role in child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention and intervention efforts. We examined the impact of the Second Step Child Protection Unit (CPU) on improving teacher awareness, attitudes, and teacher-student relations for 161 teachers. Teacher baseline scores and treatment acceptability were examined as moderators. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed a significant effect of the CPU on teachers' awareness, attitudes, and teacher-student relations, particularly for teachers with lower prior knowledge, attitudes, and student relationships. Teachers' acceptability of the CPU also moderated outcomes, where a higher level of acceptability of CSA interventions was associated with an increase in outcomes.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCED BY ADOLESCENTS: THE DISCOURSE OF WOMEN EDUCATORS

ABSTRACT Objective: to learn the perception of women educators about domestic violence against adolescents. Method: this is a qualitative study, based on Paulo Freire's Critical-Liberating Perspective, conducted with 20 women educators from a public elementary school located in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. An interview was conducted from August to October 2017. Data was systematized based on the Collective Subject Discourse and analyzed in the light of theorist Paulo Freire. Results: the women educators' speeches about domestic violence against adolescents revealed perceptions represented by the “Forms of violence against adolescents practiced in the domestic setting”; “Repercussions of domestic violence on health and education”; “Naturalization of domestic violence”; and “Reproduction of violence in the school space”. Conclusion: women educators recognize domestic violence as an intergenerational phenomenon that expresses itself in various ways and has repercussions on the physical and mental health of adolescents with repercussions on school performance and interpersonal relationships, including with peers and teachers.

School staff members experience and knowledge in the reporting of potential child and youth victimization

Victimization has been widely demonstrated to have negative consequences in minors. Most crimes against children go unreported and victims tend to reach adulthood without receiving any of the available specialized support. Studies have highlighted the unique role of school workers in early detection and reporting of possible cases of victimization, and have also found high rates of underreporting by school staff. The present study analyzes the underreporting of child and youth victimization suspicions among school staff and aims to identify variables related to its detection and reporting. One hundred and eighty-four school staff members (83.7% females, M=42.6years old, SD=11.7) from 17 different schools completed a self-administered questionnaire designed to record their knowledge and experience regarding the detection and reporting of potential victimization cases. Over 74% of the school workers had suspected at least one situation of victimization during their careers, but only 27% had actually reported these concerns. Higher rates of reporting were significantly associated with male gender, more years of experience, and awareness of five common misconceptions. Reporting behavior could be predicted by gender, years of experience and two statements assessing respondents' knowledge of victimization. In order to increase early reporting of possible cases of victimization, it is necessary to overcome certain misconceptions, raise awareness among school staff, design new training programs or interventions, and adapt the school dynamics in the light of these findings.

Assessing parental understanding of sexualized behavior in children and adolescents

The current study assessed parents' ability to identify normal, concerning and harmful sexualized behaviors in children and adolescents, as well as the parents' ability to identify and select an appropriate level of intervention. The influence of a parent's relationship with the victim or the perpetrator on the level of action taken was also examined. A cross-sectional survey incorporating a randomized experimental vignette condition determined that parents (N=244) were not able to consistently identify sexualized behaviors accurately, and they provided lower-than-recommended levels of intervention responses. Parents were best able to identify and respond to behaviors considered normal and age-appropriate, but had greater difficulty with behaviors considered concerning or harmful. Parents were significantly less able to accurately identify and respond to behaviors exhibited by very young children (in the 0-4 year-old age-bracket). In three vignette comparisons, no significant difference in the level of intervention responses was found between parents who viewed the victim as their own child and parents who viewed the perpetrator as their child; while parents who viewed both the victim and perpetrator as being their children (siblings) reported lower intervention response levels. Because a lack of accurate knowledge around risks and indicators of child sexual abuse negatively affects the ability to prevent and detect abuse, the results have implications for a shift from a forensic model of child protection towards a public health model, which emphasizes parent and community education.