Teachers' Beliefs about Maltreatment of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

A national survey of 556 teachers of students with emotional/behavior disorders (E/BD) was conducted to identify special educators' beliefs about child maltreatment among the students they taught. The respondents reported that they believed approximately 38% of their students had been abused physically or sexually 41% had been neglected, and 51% had been abused emotionally. The teachers reported that the behavior of their students, student reports, physical signs, and reports from others led them to believe that abuse or neglect had occurred. Furthermore, they reported that their students displayed many personal and behavioral characteristics often identified as indicators of maltreatment. Of the teachers surveyed, 82% related that they had reported maltreatment and that their reports were made most often to school administrators and least often to the abuse and neglect hotline. Implications for the education and treatment of children who have been maltreated and have E/BD are discussed as well as recommendations for research.