6 TPC Digest 7 TPC Digest Read full article and references: Ricks, L., Tuttle, M., & Ellison, S. E. (2022). Child abuse reporting: Understanding factors impacting veteran school counselors. The Professional Counselor, 12(2), 149–166. doi: 10.15241/lr.12.2.149 I n 2019, approximately 4.4 million reports alleging maltreatment were made to U.S. child protective services. Of these reports, nearly two-thirds were made by professionals who encounter children as a part of their occupation. Voluntary disclosure of childhood abuse is relatively uncommon; one study found that less than half of adults with histories of abuse reported disclosing the abuse to anyone during childhood, and only 8%–16% of those disclosures resulted in reporting to authorities. For this reason, mandated reporting by professionals is an integral piece of child abuse prevention. School counselors, by virtue of their ongoing contact with children, are uniquely positioned to identify and report child abuse. Previous literature has focused on the reporting behaviors and experiences of novice school counselors; however, the child abuse reporting behaviors and needs of veteran school counselors are understudied. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine (a) the prevalence of child abuse reporting by veteran school counselors within the school year; (b) the factors affecting veteran school counselors’ decisions to report or not report suspected child abuse; (c) reasons for reporting or not reporting suspected child abuse by veteran school counselors; and (d) veteran school counselors’ self-efficacy levels related to child abuse reporting. Responses from 303 veteran school counselors in the Southeastern United States were included in the sample. Veteran school counselors were defined as having 6 or more years of experience working as a school counselor within a public or private school. Participants completed a demographics survey, the Child Abuse Reporting Questionnaire, the School Counselor SelfEfficacy Scale, and the Knowledge of Child Abuse Reporting Questionnaire. The analysis results revealed that veteran school counselors, on average, reported more than five cases of child abuse in a 12-month period. Additionally, academic setting, number of students within the school, and the students’ engagement in the free or reduced lunch program were significantly correlated with higher reporting among veteran school counselors. Moreover, veteran school counselors’ self-efficacy levels were moderately correlated with their decision to report. Highly rated reasons for choosing to report suspected child abuse included professional obligation, following school protocol, and concern for safety of the child. The highest rated reason for choosing not to report was lack of evidence. This study has meaningful implications for school counselor training and advocacy related to child abuse reporting. Based on the findings from this research study, standardization in reporting policies, updated or increased training opportunities, and additional mental health services in low-income and elementary districts may be supportive of veteran school counselors’ ability to effectively engage in reporting child abuse. Additionally, school counselors may need more training on both the risk factors associated with poverty and the ways in which they can assess self-bias as a factor in identifying and reporting suspected child abuse. Further research is needed to understand how self-efficacy impacts school counselors’ decision-making processes. It is also important to examine how school support can increase school counselors’ self-efficacy levels. Lacey Ricks, PhD, NCC, NCSC, is an associate professor at Liberty University. Malti Tuttle, PhD, NCC, NCSC, LPC, is an associate professor at Auburn University. Sara E. Ellison, MS, NCC, LAPC, is a doctoral student at Auburn University. Correspondence may be addressed to Lacey Ricks, 1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg, VA 24515, lricks1@liberty.edu. Lacey Ricks, Malti Tuttle, Sara E. Ellison Child Abuse Reporting Understanding Factors Impacting Veteran School Counselors | TPC Digest 7 | TPC Digest
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