Factors Associated with Social Workers’ Likelihood to Report Suspected Child Abuse: Findings from a National Survey of Chinese Social Workers

Abstract

Abstract Whilst there have been recent national surveys about reporting child abuse in several low- and middle-income countries, data from China are lacking. This study examined the prevalence of reporting suspected child abuse and factors associated with having ever reported in a sample of social workers from mainland China. Nationally representative data from the China Social Work Longitudinal Study were used, and responses from 3,510 participants who had completed the children’s social work questionnaire module were analysed. Our results indicate that only 14.4 per cent of social workers from China had ever reported suspected child abuse. Participants who had ever reported were more likely to be female, younger, have higher education levels and social work qualifications, have a higher awareness of abusive behaviours, and have greater working autonomy than social workers who had never reported. We argue that in order to achieve higher levels of reporting suspected child abuse for Chinese social workers, it is necessary to promote the professionalisation of social work through both education and experience gained in practice.