The Role of Secondary School Educational Leaders in Identifying and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse

In response to an ever-increasing number of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases in Malta, this paper explores the way secondary school educational leaders are involved in identifying and responding to CSA. Additionally, it highlights the individual thoughts and feelings of secondary school educational leaders in responding to potential CSA cases. The sources of data of this mixed methods research include: 63 questionnaires completed by secondary school educational leaders occupying the role of Assistant Head of School or Head/Acting Head of School, as well as 10 semi-structured interviews conducted with secondary school educational leaders occupying the role of Head/Acting Head of School. Participants were recruited from three different school sectors: state, church, and independent. Whilst participants’ responses showed a willingness to fulfil mandatory reporting obligations and contained evidence of good practice in dealing with CSA, knowledge pertaining to CSA proved to be somewhat lacking amongst the participating educational leaders. This is likely attributed to the lack of pre-service and CoPE (Community of Professional Educators) training opportunities on all aspects of CSA available to educational professionals in all school sectors. The study reveals that dealing with CSA poses significant emotional challenges for educational leaders; however, the active involvement of different stakeholders and professionals facilitates the process of CSA referrals.