{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T12:44:27Z","timestamp":1777293867101,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]],"date-time":"2026-01-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769299200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study presents an Italian adaptation of the Teachers\u2019 Reporting Attitude Scale for Child Sexual Abuse (TRAS-CSA), aiming to assess teachers\u2019 attitudes towards reporting suspected cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) and to explore the scale\u2019s psychometric properties in the Italian context. Given the critical role schools play in identifying and addressing CSA, understanding teachers\u2019 attitudes is vital for improving reporting rates and protecting victims. A sample of 1318 Italian teachers (12.8% male; age: 25\u201365; 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16020168","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T10:24:36Z","timestamp":1769423076000},"page":"168","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Teachers\u2019 Reporting Attitude Scale for Child Sexual Abuse: An Italian Adaptation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4522-5652","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matteo Angelo","family":"Fabris","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8457-6554","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudio","family":"Longobardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3350-6679","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia","family":"Mastrokoukou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Department of Human and Social Sciences, Universitas Mercatorum, 00186 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4673-6756","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno Luiz Avelino","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Studies and Interventions in Cognitive and Contextual Therapies, Department of Psychology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5641-4726","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego","family":"Costa Lima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Minas Gerais State University, Divin\u00f3polis 35501-170, MG, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104649","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actpsy.2024.104649","article-title":"Predictors of schoolteachers\u2019 intention to report suspected child abuse and neglect cases in Oman: A national study","volume":"252","author":"Jabri","year":"2025","journal-title":"Acta Psychologica"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.1007\/s43545-024-00852-6","article-title":"Examining the short and long-term impacts of child sexual abuse: A review study","volume":"4","author":"Ali","year":"2024","journal-title":"SN Social Sciences"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Asparouhov, T., and Muthen, B. (2025, August 01). Simple second order chi-square correction [Unpublished manuscript], Available online: https:\/\/www.statmodel.com\/download\/WLSMV_new_chi21.pdf."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1007\/s40653-019-00273-1","article-title":"Physical, emotional, and sexual victimization across three generations: A cross-sectional study","volume":"13","author":"Fabris","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1007\/s00038-012-0426-1","article-title":"The current prevalence of child sexual abuse worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"58","author":"Barth","year":"2013","journal-title":"International Journal of Public Health"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1002\/car.2617","article-title":"What helps children tell? A qualitative meta-analysis of child sexual abuse disclosure","volume":"29","author":"Brennan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Child Abuse Review"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research, The Guilford Press."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.5330\/prsc.9.1.j244x1902344353h","article-title":"Child abuse reporting by school counselors","volume":"9","author":"Bryant","year":"2005","journal-title":"Professional School Counseling"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260512454720","article-title":"Teacher reporting attitudes scale (TRAS) confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses with a Malaysian sample","volume":"28","author":"Choo","year":"2013","journal-title":"Journal of Interpersonal Violence"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106631","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2023.106631","article-title":"Childhood trauma and factors influencing primary school teachers\u2019 reporting of child abuse: Insights from Italy","volume":"149","author":"Fabris","year":"2024b","journal-title":"Child Abuse & Neglect"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1049115","DOI":"10.3389\/feduc.2022.1049115","article-title":"Student-teacher relationship quality research: Past. present and future","volume":"Vol. 7","author":"Fabris","year":"2022","journal-title":"Frontiers in Education"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1620","DOI":"10.1007\/s10578-023-01516-x","article-title":"Sense of belonging at school and on social media in adolescence: Associations with educational achievement and psychosocial maladjustment","volume":"55","author":"Fabris","year":"2024a","journal-title":"Child Psychiatry & Human Development"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.7334\/psicothema2016.304","article-title":"Program FACTOR at 10: Origins, development and future directions","volume":"29","author":"Ferrando","year":"2017","journal-title":"Psicothema"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fishbein, M., and Ajzen, I. (2011). Predicting and changing behavior: The reasoned action approach, Psychology Press.","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203838020"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"941","DOI":"10.1093\/her\/cyn030","article-title":"Teachers\u2019 reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect: Behaviour and determinants","volume":"23","author":"Goebbels","year":"2008","journal-title":"Health Education Research"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105499","DOI":"10.1016\/j.childyouth.2020.105499","article-title":"Detection and reporting potential child and youth victimization cases from school: The role of knowledge","volume":"119","author":"Greco","year":"2020","journal-title":"Children and Youth Services Review"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"NP7242","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260520969243","article-title":"Why do school staff sometimes fail to report potential victimization cases? A mixed-methods study","volume":"37","author":"Greco","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Interpersonal Violence"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"830","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(19)30286-X","article-title":"Long-term outcomes of childhood sexual abuse: An umbrella review","volume":"6","author":"Hailes","year":"2019","journal-title":"The Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Hancock, G. R., and Mueller, R. O. (2001). Rethinking construct reliability within latent variable systems. Structural equation modeling: Present and future, Routledge."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e20154079","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2015-4079","article-title":"Global prevalence of past-year violence against children: A systematic review and minimum estimates","volume":"137","author":"Hillis","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"173","article-title":"Psychometric properties of teachers\u2019 attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse scale: Turkish form","volume":"19","year":"2019","journal-title":"Elementary Education Online"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106400","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2023.106400","article-title":"Variables affecting the attitudes of teachers and school principals in reporting child abuse: An analysis of demographic characteristics, awareness, and self-efficacy","volume":"145","author":"Ulum","year":"2023","journal-title":"Child Abuse & Neglect"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1080\/24732850.2020.1742016","article-title":"Emotional intelligence in child molesters","volume":"20","author":"Longobardi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bodyim.2022.01.003","article-title":"Adverse childhood experiences and body dysmorphic symptoms: A meta-analysis","volume":"40","author":"Longobardi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Body Image"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.3233\/DEV-200300","article-title":"Online sexual victimization among middle school students: Prevalence and association with online risk behaviors","volume":"15","author":"Longobardi","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Developmental Science"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Longobardi, C., Settanni, M., Prino, L. E., Fabris, M. A., and Marengo, D. (2019). Students\u2019 psychological adjustment in normative school transitions from kindergarten to high school: Investigating the role of teacher-student relationship quality. Frontiers in Psychology, 10.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2019.01238"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"jphr-2021","DOI":"10.4081\/jphr.2021.2564","article-title":"Sexual violence: 10 years of case studies in a hospital in Northern Italy","volume":"11","author":"Maghin","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Public Health Research"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120","DOI":"10.1037\/a0021630","article-title":"A call for integrating a mental health perspective into systems of care for abused and neglected infants and young children","volume":"66","author":"Osofsky","year":"2011","journal-title":"American Psychologist"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1083","DOI":"10.1016\/S0145-2134(99)00074-5","article-title":"Teachers\u2019 recognition and reporting of child abuse: A factorial survey","volume":"23","author":"Webster","year":"1999","journal-title":"Child Abuse & Neglect"},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"436","article-title":"Aile hekimi ve \u00f6\u011fretmenlerin \u00e7ocuk ihmal ve istismar\u0131 konusundaki g\u00f6r\u00fc\u015f ve tutumlar\u0131","volume":"7","year":"2018","journal-title":"\u0130nsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Ara\u015ft\u0131rmalar\u0131 Dergisi"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"264","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2024.5326","article-title":"Global prevalence of sexual violence against children: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"179","author":"Piolanti","year":"2025","journal-title":"JAMA Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"806","DOI":"10.1080\/10409289.2022.2085980","article-title":"Attachment behaviors toward teachers and social preference in preschool children","volume":"34","author":"Prino","year":"2023","journal-title":"Early Education and Development"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1177\/014662168500900409","article-title":"The difficulty of test items that measure more than one ability","volume":"9","author":"Reckase","year":"1985","journal-title":"Applied Psychological Measurement"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sainz, V., Gonz\u00e1lez-S\u00e1nchez, M., and Ruiz-Alberdi, C. (2020). Knowledge of child abuse among trainee teachers and teachers in service in Spain. Sustainability, 12, (19).","DOI":"10.3390\/su12198040"},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"n21","article-title":"Experiences of school counselors during and after making suspected child abuse reports","volume":"8","author":"Sikes","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of School Counseling"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1177\/1077559511403920","article-title":"A global perspective on child sexual abuse: Meta-analysis of prevalence around the world","volume":"16","author":"Stoltenborgh","year":"2011","journal-title":"Child Maltreatment"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1037\/a0023353","article-title":"Dimensionality assessment of ordered polytomous items with parallel analysis","volume":"16","author":"Timmerman","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psychological Methods"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"358","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2018.02.025","article-title":"The recognition of child abuse and the perceived need for intervention by school personnel of primary schools: Results of a vignette study on the influence of case. school personnel, and school characteristics","volume":"79","author":"Vanderfaeillie","year":"2018","journal-title":"Child Abuse & Neglect"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1937","DOI":"10.1016\/j.childyouth.2012.06.004","article-title":"Understanding teachers\u2019 reporting of child sexual abuse: Measurement methods matter","volume":"34","author":"Walsh","year":"2012b","journal-title":"Children and Youth Services Review"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1080\/10538711003781392","article-title":"Teachers\u2019 attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse: Problems with existing research leading to new scale development","volume":"19","author":"Walsh","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Child Sexual Abuse"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"489","DOI":"10.1080\/10538712.2012.689423","article-title":"Exploratory factor analysis and psychometric evaluation of the teacher reporting attitude scale for child sexual abuse","volume":"21","author":"Walsh","year":"2012a","journal-title":"Journal of Child Sexual Abuse"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1281","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2004.02.007","article-title":"Overreporting and underreporting of child abuse: Teachers\u2019 use of professional discretion","volume":"29","author":"Webster","year":"2005","journal-title":"Child Abuse & Neglect"},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"World Health Organization (1999). Consultation on child abuse prevention, Social Change and Mental Health Violence and Injury Prevention."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.3102\/01623737012001041","article-title":"Linking schools and social services: The case of child abuse reporting","volume":"12","author":"Zellman","year":"1990","journal-title":"Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis"}],"container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/2\/168\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,26]],"date-time":"2026-01-26T10:43:35Z","timestamp":1769424215000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/2\/168"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]}},"alternative-id":["bs16020168"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bs16020168","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-328X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-328X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,25]]}}}