| Abstract |
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge of primary and secondary education teachers in the Region of Crete on the management of cases of child abuse and neglect.
Methodology: The present study was conducted through Google Forms with a sample of 73 primary and secondary education teachers, aged 20 - 63 years, in the Region of Crete. Convenient sampling was used for sample selection. Participants were approached through an invitation distributed via social media and by the teachers’ associations, active in the Region of Crete. The questionnaire consisted of 29 open and closed -ended questions including demographic - work characteristics, items relevant to knowledge and attitudes on child abuse and neglect, as well as strategies for dealing with abused children.
Results: With regard to research results, the majority of participants were women (n = 54, 74%) and permanent employees 45.7%. Most of them hold a postgraduate degree (82.6%) and a working experience ranging between 1 to 36 years in school units. Less than one in every two participants had attended training seminars on child abuse and neglect (42.5%).
From the analysis, there was a significant effect of individual characteristics (socio-demographic characteristics, education characteristics, work characteristics) on teachers’ knowledge (1st research question), attitudes (2nd research question) and practices (3rd research question). In terms of knowledge, we found that gender, age, marital status, years of service, employment relationship, type of undergraduate studies and possession of a second degree and a master's degree differentiate teachers’ knowledge of specific issues related to the recognition and management of abuse. On the contrary, it seems that the attendance of an educational seminar regarding child abuse is independent of the answers given by the teachers to the statements regarding the knowledge about child abuse.
In terms of attitudes, we found that age, marital status, years of service, type of undergraduate studies, and having a second degree and a master's degree seem to differentiate teachers in terms of their attitudes toward child abuse. Gender, the existence of children, the employment relationship, and the attendance of seminars were not found to significantly differentiate the opinions of teachers regarding child abuse.
In terms of coping strategies for child abuse, we found that age, having children, years of service, employment relationship, and type of undergraduate studies were shown to differentiate teachers' practices in relation to child abuse management. Gender was found to be independent of the strategies applied by teachers.
Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the individual characteristics of teachers who tend to adopt knowledge, attitudes, and practices that make it difficult to recognize and manage child abuse. The findings are important for the development of interventions that will contribute to the improvement of teachers' knowledge and skills and to better case management in the school community.
|
Search
