This investigation is concerned with the problems teachers face in responding to possible cases of child abuse. The National Incidence Study (US DHHS 1988) showed that schools report more cases of child abuse and neglect than does any other type of institution; but, 76% of cases in public schools are not reported. This research is particularly important because teachers, in comparison to other mandated reporters, have the opportunity to observe children on a longitudinal basis in a variety of roles in formal and informal situations including interaction with parents. In spite of the high incidence of unreported cases and more recent concern with overreporting, little is currently known about this phenomena Response to child abuse is conceptualized from the standpoint of labeling theory an; includes the stages of: recognition, reporting, diagnostic behavior, and intervention. Independent variables researched include: type of child abuse act, level of seriousness, perpetrator characteristics (status, ethnicity, SES, and account), victim characteristics (age, gender, and behavior). Modifying variables are of two types: 1 . Organizational characteristics: type, control size, location, and procedures for handling suspected child abuse; and 2. Professional characteristics: demographic characteristics, experience with child abuse, knowledge of child abuse, efficacy of reporting, personal consequences of reporting, and personal experience with reporting. Teachers (N=400) will be surveyed using four procedures: 1. a factorial survey in which respondents evaluate vignettes in a design using factorial experimental protocols combined with social survey techniques; 2. a """"""""last case"""""""" questionnaire; 3. a hypothetical case questionnaire; 4. a professional background and experience questionnaire. The factorial survey provides the advantages of internal validity and the last case technique provides external validity. Probability sampling will be used to select teachers to be interviewed for this research. Previous research has been limited to the effect of one or two variables on teachers' responses and has involved small convenience samples. Data will be analyzed using regression techniques.
