Knowledge of Child Abuse and Reporting Practices Among Early Care and Education Providers

This study sought to assess child abuse knowledge and reporting practices of a diverse sample of early care and education (ECE) practitioners. One hundred and thirty-seven practitioners in the state of Florida completed the Early Childhood Educators Child Abuse Questionnaire. Results revealed that only a minority of participants have been involved in making child abuse reports. Although most reported receiving training in child maltreatment, many still were unsure of legal requirements of reporting. Responses to vignettes of potential abuse revealed a tendency to report to school administration more often than reporting directly to authorities. On a test of child abuse knowledge, the majority of the respondents demonstrated a fair level of knowledge. Recommendations for future research involving ECE administrators are suggested.