Child sexual abuse reporting intentions of primary school teachers in South Africa: An application of the theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a prevalent problem in South Africa – one in every three children is sexually abused before the age of 18. South African law mandates teachers to detect and report suspected cases of CSA. Teachers’ failure to report CSA places children at risk of re-victimization and places schools at risk of legal liability in negligence. This study used Ajzen (1988)’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) to describe and predict CSA reporting intention amongst primary school teachers. Through a stratified random sampling procedure, a total of 399 foundation phase teachers from eight school districts in the Western Cape province of South Africa participated in this study. A cross-sectional research design using a self-administered questionnaire was employed. Multiple regression tested the predictability of the TPB for reporting intention. The TPB constructs of subjective norm and perceived behavioral control (but not attitude towards reporting) predicted reporting intention. Having reported CSA before, as well as having more accurate knowledge on mandatory reporting, predicted teachers’ future reporting intention. Extending what is posited by the TPB, this study found that for this sample of South African teachers, attitude towards reporting did not mediate the relationship between past reporting behavior and intention to report, or the relationship between mandatory reporting knowledge and intention to report. Teachers’ age and years of teaching experience emerged as key background factors influencing teachers’ intention to report CSA. The TPB, although significant, could not on its own effectively predict teachers’ intention to report CSA; other explanatory factors influenced teachers’ reporting intention.