Teachers' Reporting Attitude Scale for Child Sexual Abuse: An Italian Adaptation

This study presents an Italian adaptation of the Teachers' Reporting Attitude Scale for Child Sexual Abuse (TRAS-CSA), aiming to assess teachers' attitudes towards reporting suspected cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) and to explore the scale's psychometric properties in the Italian context. Given the critical role schools play in identifying and addressing CSA, understanding teachers' attitudes is vital for improving reporting rates and protecting victims. A sample of 1318 Italian teachers (12.8% male; age: 25-65; M = 46.71; SD = 10.25) from various educational levels participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis identified two primary factors: Awareness of Role and Commitment to Reporting (Factor 1) and Concern and Distrust Towards Reporting (Factor 2). Results indicated that male teachers demonstrated significantly higher scores on the concern factor, while teachers from secondary schools exhibited higher commitment to reporting compared to those from preschool and primary levels. The adapted TRAS-CSA demonstrates solid psychometric properties, providing a valuable tool for future research and intervention strategies in Italy to enhance awareness and action against child sexual abuse within educational settings. Implications for educational policies and teacher training frameworks are discussed to bolster the preventive efforts against CSA.