Teachers' knowledge, attitudes and experience in sexual abuse prevention education in El Salvador

Abstract

Research on how to prevent child sexual abuse (CSA) in developing nations is practically non-existent. We sought to determine Salvadoran teachers' knowledge, attitudes, experience and barriers to CSA detection and reporting to assess the need for a CSA prevention programme and to assess barriers in conducting such a programme. One hundred teachers completed a questionnaire while they visited the Tin Marin Children's Museum in San Salvador. Nineteen of these teachers also participated in a focus group. We found that 89% of teachers reported at least two signs and symptoms of child abuse. One hundred per cent of teachers agreed that it is their responsibility to teach students about sexual abuse. Unusual for a study of this kind, parental migration was mentioned as making children vulnerable to CSA, and fear of gang violence and retribution was identified as interfering with teachers' ability to protect children. We conclude that Salvadoran teachers were knowledgeable about CSA detection and reporting and would support a programme in which they are trained to speak to their students about this topic. Barriers to reporting child abuse, such as teachers' safety and fear, need to be addressed in future CSA prevention programmes.

Keywords:

• child sexual abuse prevention
• teachers
• El Salvador

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the staff of El Tin Marin Children's Museum, namely Celeste de Trabanino and Ricardo Granada, for being so welcoming and accommodating. We also thank the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Centre for Multicultural and Community Affairs, including Dr Butts, Ray Cornbill and Ann-Gel Palermo for their encouragement and guidance. Finally, we thank Drs Sharma and Ozbay, and Kathryn Marrone for facilitating the writing of this paper; and Mary Rojas, Dr Adriana Feder and Bertille Gaigbe-Togbe for their contributions.