Child Abuse and Prevention Survey Results Released by School Improvement Network

Data Shows School Administrators Believe Abuse Cases Are Being Reported Nearly 60 Percent of the Time, Teachers Say Cases are Reported Less Than Half the Time

School Improvement Network has released the results from a recently conducted survey on Child Abuse and Prevention in U.S. Schools. 950 educators and school administrators from across the country weighed in on topics including:

• The frequency that child abuse or neglect is suspected by the teacher
• The most common type of abuse suspected by the teacher
• What may be stopping a teacher from reporting their concerns to authorities
• What type and frequency of training is provided for teachers

Alarmingly, when asked what percentage of abuse cases respondents estimate are reported, administrators believe 59% are reported, but teachers say only 42% of abuse cases get reported.

“Because of their close interaction with children on a daily basis, teachers are often a child’s first line of defense against abuse and neglect,” said Chet D. Linton, School Improvement Network president and CEO. “We need to make sure information and training about how to recognize, report and prevent abuse is available to educators everywhere.”

Earlier this month, in recognition of National Child Abuse and Prevention Month, School Improvement Network announced the release of a video series for educators detailing how to take those three steps of recognizing, reporting and preventing child abuse and neglect. The video series has been made available to the public on YouTube through the end of the month.

Six percent of survey respondents indicate they do not know a specific procedure for reporting abuse. Additionally, eight percent of respondents claim that their school districts provide no training at all for reporting child abuse.

For survey results, please visit http://www.schoolimprovement.com/voices-of-education/child-abuse-and-neglect/.