Abstract
This study reflects Estonian preschool teachers’ perceptions about and experience related to children in need in the context of neglect and abuse. Using quantitative and qualitative data, it was determined that, in general, teachers understand the meaning of “child in need” and abuse, and they have had experience with such children in their classes. However, emotional neglect and abuse are more difficult to identify than, for example, physical abuse. The study indicates the need to find ways to support teachers’ competence and confidence in identifying and reporting cases of children in need. Practice implications are discussed and recommendations for future research are outlined.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alisic, E. (2012). Teachers’ perspectives on providing support to children after trauma: A qualitative study. School Psychology Quarterly, 27(1), 51–59. doi:10.1037/a0028590.
Appleton, J. V. (2012). Delivering safeguarding children services in primary care: Responding to national child protection policy. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 13(1), 60–71.
Arditti, J. A. (2005). Families and incarceration: An ecological approach. Families in Society, The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 86(2), 251–260.
Bachmann, M. O., O’Brien, M., Husbands, C., Shreeve, A., Jones, N., Watson, J., et al. (2009). Integrating children’s services in England: National evaluation of children’s trusts. Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(2), 257–265.
Barter, C., & Renold, E. (1999). The use of vignettes in qualitative research. Social Research Update, 25, 1–4.
Betancourt, T. S. (2005). Stressors, supports and the social ecology of displacement: Psychosocial dimensions of an emergency education program for Chechen adolescents displaced in Ingushetia, Russia. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 29, 309–340. doi:10.1007/s11013-005-9170-9.
Boothby, N., Balster, R. L., Goldman, P., Wessells, M. G., Zeanag, C. H., Huebner, G., et al. (2012). Coordinated and evidence-based policy and practice for protecting children outside of family care. Child Abuse and Neglect, 36(10), 743–751.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Calvete, E. (2014). Emotional abuse as a predictor of early maladaptive schemas in adolescents: Contributions to the development of depressive and social anxiety symptoms. Child Abuse and Neglect, 38, 735–746.
Caro, F. G., Yee, C., Levien, S., Gottlieb, A. S., Winter, J., McFadden, D. L., et al. (2012). Choosing among residential options: Results of a vignette experiment. Research on Aging, 34, 3–33.
De Vaus, D. (2004). Surveys in social research. London: Routledge.
Educational Qualifications Board. (2013). Teachers’ occupational standard, level 6. Retrieved from http://www.kutsekoda.ee/et/kutseregister/kutsestandardid/10494424/pdf/opetaja-tase-6.1.et.pdf.
Estonian Ministry of Education- and Research. (2013). Overview of evaluation of educational system in academic year 2011/2012. Retrieved from www.hm.ee/index.php?popup=download&id=11395.
Everson, M. D., & Sandoval, J. M. (2011). Forensic child sexual abuse evaluations: Assessing subjectivity and bias in professional judgements. Child Abuse and Neglect, 35, 287–298.
Fisher, T. (1997). Learning about child protection. Social Work Education, 16(2), 92–112.
Freisthler, B., Holmes, M. R., & Price Wolf, J. (2014). The dark side of social support: Understanding the role of social support, drinking behaviors and alcohol outlets for child physical abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.03.011.
Gamache Martin, C., Cromer, L. D., & Freyd, J. J. (2010). Teachers’ beliefs about maltreatment effects on student learning and classroom behavior. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 3, 245–254. doi:10.1080/19361521.2010.523061.
Garbarino, J. (1993). Childhood: What do we need to know? Childhood, 1, 3–10.
Glaser, D. (2002). Emotional abuse and neglect (psychological maltreatment): A conceptual framework. Child Abuse and Neglect, 26, 697–714.
Goldman, J. D. G. (2007). Primary school student-teachers’ knowledge and understandings of child sexual abuse and its mandatory reporting. International Journal of Educational Research, 46, 368–381.
Gordon, J. (2000). Ecological influences in parenting and child development. British Journal of Social Work, 30, 703–720.
Haj-Yahia, M. M., & Attar-Schwartz, S. (2008). Attitudes of Palestinian pre-school teachers from Israel towards reporting of suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Child and Family Social Work, 13, 378–390. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2008.00562.x.
Hanson, R. F., Ralston, E., Self-Brown, S., Ruggiero, K. J., Saunders, B. E., Love, A. G., et al. (2008). Description and preliminary evaluation of the child abuse school liaison program: A secondary prevention program for school personnel. Journal of Psychological Trauma, 7(2), 91–103.
Harford, T. C., Yi, H., & Grant, B. F. (2014). Neglect: Associations between childhood abuse and interpersonal aggression and suicide attempt among U.S. adults in a national study. Child Abuse & Neglect. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.02.011.
Hawkins, R., & McCallum, C. (2001). Mandatory notification training for suspected child abuse and neglect in South Australian schools. Child Abuse and Neglect, 25, 1603–1625.
Hetherington, R. (1998). Issues in European child protection research. European Journal of Social Work, 1(1), 71–82.
Horwath, J., & Morrison, T. (2011). Effective inter-agency collaboration to safeguard children: Rising to the challenge through collective development. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 368–375.
Hughes, R. (1998). Considering the vignette technique and its application to a study of drug injecting and HIV risk and safer behaviour. Sociology of Health & Illness, 20(3), 381–400.
Hughes, R., & Huby, M. (2002). The application of vignettes in social and nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 37(4), 382–386.
Ilves, K. (2013). The child in education and youth work. In D. Kutsar (Ed.), Child well-being (pp. 108–120). Tallinn: Statistics Estonia.
Iwaniec, D. (1996). Competence in working with families. In K. O’Hagan (Ed.), Competence in social work practice. A practical guide for professionals (pp. 186–204). London: Jessica.
Jenkins, N., Bloor, M., Fischer, J., Berney, L., & Neale, J. (2010). Putting it in context: The use of vignettes in qualitative interviewing. Qualitative Research, 10, 175–198.
Jent, J. F., Eaton, C. K., Knickerbocker, L., Lambert, W. F., Merrick, M. T., & Dandes, S. K. (2011). Multidisciplinary child protection decision making about physical abuse: Determining substantiation thresholds and biases. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1673–1682.
Karu, M., Turk, P., Biin, H., & Suvi, H. (2012). Monitoring of child’s rights and parenting. Survey of adult population. Retrieved from http://oiguskantsler.ee/sites/default/files/IMCE/summary_of_the_monitoring_of_the_rights_of_the_child_and_parenting.pdf.
Kazak, A. E., Hoagwood, K., Weisz, J. R., Hood, K., Kratochwill, T. R., Vargas, L. A., et al. (2010). A meta-systems approach to evidence-based practice for children and adolescents. American Psychologist, 65(2), 85–97.
Kenny, M. C. (2001). Child abuse reporting: Teachers’ perceived deterrents. Child Abuse and Neglect, 25, 81–92.
Kenny, M. C. (2004). Teachers’ attitudes toward and knowledge of child maltreatment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 28, 1311–1319.
Kent, A., & Waller, G. (2000). Childhood emotional abuse and eating psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review, 20(7), 887–903.
Kobayashi, N. (1993). Child ecology: A theoretical basis for solving children’s problems in the world. Childhood, 1, 26–37.
Liu, R. T., Jager-Hyman, S., Wagner, C. A., Alloy, L. B., & Gibb, B. E. (2012). Number of childhood abuse perpetrators and the occurrence of depressive episodes in adulthood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 36, 323–332.
McKee, B. E., & Dillenburger, K. (2009). Child abuse and neglect: Training needs of student teachers. International Journal of Educational Research, 48, 320–330.
McKee, B. E., & Dillenburger, K. (2012). Effectiveness of child protection training for pre-service early childhood educators. International Journal of Educational Research, 53, 348–359.
McPherson, L., & Barnett, M. (2006). Beginning practice in child protection: A blended learning approach. Social Work Education, 25(2), 192–198.
Nouwen, E., Decuyper, S., & Put, J. (2012). Team decision making in child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 2101–2116.
NSPCC. (2014). Incidence and prevalence of child abuse and neglect. Retrieved from http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/statistics/prevalence_and_incidence_of_child_abuse_and_neglect_wda48740.html.
Otway, O. (2002). Social work with children and families. In N. Parton (Ed.), Social theory, social change and social work (pp. 152–171). London: Routledge.
Padgett, D. K. (2008). Qualitative methods in social work research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Reporting the Child in Need and Protection of Data. (2011). Retrieved from http://lasteombudsman.ee/sites/default/files/abivajavast_lapsest_teatamine_ja_andmekaitse_-_juhend.pdf.
Romero-Martínez, A., Figueiredoa, B., & Moya-Albiol, L. (2014). Childhood history of abuse and child abuse potential: The role of parent’s gender and timing of childhood abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38, 510–516. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.09.010.
Salla, J., Surva, L., Ilves, K., Soo, K., & Reinomägi, A. (2013). Safety of children. In D. Kutsar (Ed.), Child well-being (pp. 77–83). Tallinn: Statistics Estonia.
Shapero, B. G., Black, S. K., Liu, R. T., Klugman, J., Bender, R. E., Abramson, L. Y., et al. (2014). Stressful life events and depression symptoms: The effect of childhood emotional abuse on stress reactivity. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70(3), 209–223.
Smith, J. D., Finn, S. E., Swain, N. F., & Handler, L. (2010). Therapeutic assessment of families in healthcare settings: A case presentation of the model’s application. Families, Systems, & Health, 28(4), 369–386.
Soo, K., Ilves, K., & Strömpl, J. (2009). Laste väärkohtlemise juhtumitest teavitamine ja võrgustikutöö. Retrieved from http://lapsedjapered.sm.ee/fileadmin/Sisu_laadimine/Lapsed_ja_pered/Alusdokumendid/Lapse_vaarkohtlemisest_teavitamine_uuringu_raport.pdf.
Statistics Estonia. (2014). Children without parental care in need of assistance. Retrieved from http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Database/Sotsiaalelu/databasetree.asp.
Sullivan, W. P., & Rapp, C. A. (2006). Honoring philosophical traditions: The strengths model and the social environment. In D. Saleebey (Ed.), The strengths perspective in social work practice (pp. 261–278). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
The Republic of Estonia Child Protection Act. (1992). RT I, 21.03.2011, 50.
The Social Welfare Act. (1995). RT I 30. 12.2011, 37.
Toros, K. (2011). Assessment of child well-being: Child protection practice in Estonia. Tallinn: Tallinn University.
UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. (1989). Retrieved from http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/44/a44r025.htm.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, & Children’s Bureau. (2012). Child maltreatment. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/cm2012.pdf.
Walsh, K., & Farrell, A. (2007). Identifying and evaluating teachers’ knowledge in relation to child abuse and neglect: A qualitative study with Australian early childhood teachers. Teacher and Teaching Education, 24, 585–600.
Walsh, K., Mathews, B., Rassafiani, R., Farrell, A., & Butler, D. (2012). Understanding teachers’ reporting of child sexual abuse: Measurement methods matter. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 1937–1946.
WHO. (2014). Child maltreatment. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs150/en/.
Wilks, T. (2004). The use of vignettes in qualitative research into social work values. Qualitative Social Work, 3(1), 78–87.
Yanowitz, K. L., Monte, E., & Tribble, J. R. (2003). Teachers’ beliefs about the effects of child abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27, 483–488.
Young, J. C., & Widom, C. S., (2014). Long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on emotion processing in adulthood. Child Abuse & Neglect, doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.03.008.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Toros, K., Tiirik, R. Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions About and Experience with Child Abuse and Neglect. Early Childhood Educ J 44, 21–30 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-014-0675-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-014-0675-0