Reports of child sexual abuse in the schools

Abstract

Few studies have examined the problem of child sexual abuse (CSA) as it relates to the role of the school psychologist. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of CSA reports to school psychologists, to examine the perceived quality of service to child victims, and to survey the usage of CSA prevention and screening programs as adjunct services in managing this problem. Of the 171 respondents, 498 child sexual abuse cases were reported. Respondents with prior CSA training rated their performance significantly higher than those without training in handling these cases. Those respondents reporting use of CSA prevention and screening programs generally rated their effectiveness as average or above. The results of this study suggested a need for training of school psychologists in the assessment of child sexual abuse. The results also implicated the use of prevention and screening programs as part of a service delivery program to all students in the public schools.