Awareness of Child Abuse and Neglect Among Preservice Preschool Teachers: A Vignette-Based Study in Initial Teacher Education
Child Abuse Review, cilt.35, sa.4, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 35 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1002/car.70162
- Dergi Adı: Child Abuse Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Psycinfo, Criminal Justice Periodical Index, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Criminology Collection (ProQuest), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO), Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: child abuse and neglect, initial teacher education, preservice preschool teachers, safeguarding awareness, vignette-based assessment
- İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The ability of preservice preschool teachers to recognise child abuse and neglect is critical for their safeguarding role in early childhood. International research indicates that child protection is an inconsistent component within initial teacher education programs. This study aims to address this gap by examining the applied awareness of preservice preschool teachers in the context of their training stages and personal histories. A cross-sectional, descriptive and comparative research design was employed with a sample of 125 preservice preschool teacher candidates in Türkiye. Applied awareness was measured using the vignette-based Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Scale (CANA-S). Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used for analysis. The mean total CANA-S score for the full sample indicated a moderate to relatively high overall level of awareness. Awareness scores were significantly higher for fourth-year students compared with first-year students. Participants who reported previous training demonstrated significantly higher awareness than those without training. Furthermore, personal adverse experiences, such as exposure to disturbing behaviour or feeling neglected during childhood, were significantly associated with higher awareness. It is recommended that teacher education programs integrate structured, reflective and practice-linked safeguarding modules to strengthen professional sensitivity and serve as a preventive investment in children's long-term well-being.