Competentiebeleving met betrekking tot signalering en bespreken van kindermishandeling

Abstract

Introduction. Unfortunately child abuse is still a common problem in the Netherlands. Skilled preschool teachers are essential in the early prevention and signaling of maltreatment, hence this study researched the association between their perceived competence of signaling and discussing child abuse. All four types are included; physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect. Methods. Preschool teachers (n = 57) were asked to fill in different questionnaires, which included questions about communicational skills and perceived competence of signaling and discussing the different types of child abuse. After statistical analysis a comparison was made between the results of the four types of child abuse. Results. Outcomes of the simple linear regression test were significantly positive for all types of child abuse. The comparison between the different types showed that emotional abuse had the highest explained variance, followed up by sexual and physical abuse and finally neglect. Conclusion. Based on previous research the results are remarkable and they underline the importance of further research on emotional abuse, as it is the least reported form of child abuse. Recommendations for further research are discussed.