Teachers' Attitudes toward Reporting Child Sexual Abuse: Problems with Existing Research Leading to New Scale Development |
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| Authors: | Kerryann Walsh Mehdi Rassafiani Ben Mathews Ann Farrell Des Butler |
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| Institution: | 1. Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia k.walsh@qut.edu.au;3. University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences , Tehran, Iran;4. Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Australia |
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| Abstract: | This paper details a systematic literature review identifying problems in extant research relating to teachers' attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse and offers a model for new attitude scale development and testing. Scale development comprised a five-phase process grounded in contemporary attitude theories, including (a) developing the initial item pool, (b) conducting a panel review, (c) refining the scale via an expert focus group, (d) building content validity through cognitive interviews, and (e) assessing internal consistency via field testing. The resulting 21-item scale displayed construct validity in preliminary testing. The scale may prove useful as a research tool, given the theoretical supposition that attitudes may be changed with time, context, experience, and education. Further investigation with a larger sample is warranted. |
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| Keywords: | child sexual abuse mandatory reporting attitudes teachers |
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