Addressing of Awareness towards Child Abuse and Neglect Among Teachers

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the level of awareness towards child abuse and neglect among teachers working in three different public schools in Istanbul. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 teachers working in three different schools in Istanbul. In the study, a version adapted by Kurklu for the implementation of "Identification of Signs and Risks of Child Abuse and Neglect Scale" for teachers in determining the symptoms and risks of child abuse and neglect was used. Results: 66.0% of the participants are women and 74.0% are married. The average age is 37.9 +/- 7.92. Branch teachers are the most crowded group with 51.3%. The average vocational year of the participants is 13.7 +/- 7.86. 8.0% of the participants stated that they received an official training on the topic, 31.3% stated that they were informed about the law. 82.0% of them need to be informed more about child abuse and neglect. In the comparison made by age group, the scale average of the 24-40 age group is higher than the 41-60 age group (p=0.001). As the professional year increases, the scale average score decreases (p=0.013). In the correlation analysis conducted to determine the relationship between professional year and scale scores, a negative and weak relationship was found (r =-0.247 and p = 0.002). Conclusion: Official trainings on the subject are insufficient and the participants need to be informed to complement the lack of information about legal regulations. Although awareness does not change according to the duties at school, the reasons why teachers who have spent more years in the profession are less aware of abuse and neglect in children should be investigated.