Teachers' perceived recognition of possible signs of child abuse and neglect: associations with home visit effectiveness

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) remains a major public health concern worldwide. Teachers play a critical role in the early recognition and reporting of possible CAN because of their continuous contact with children. However, little is known about the factors associated with teachers' perceived recognition of possible CAN indicators, particularly the contribution of perceived home visit effectiveness. This study examined whether demographic characteristics, professional background, and teachers' perceptions regarding home visit effectiveness were associated with their perceived recognition of possible signs of CAN. The study included 310 primary school teachers. Data were collected using the Perceived Home Visit Effectiveness Scale (PEHVS), developed by the researchers, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Signs Scale. The PEHVS was developed through a multistage scale development process involving exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, whereas the factorial validity of the Child Abuse and Neglect Signs Scale was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis. Both instruments demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability. Prior to the main analyses, the assumptions of hierarchical multiple regression were examined and found to be satisfactory. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were then conducted to examine the contributions of demographic characteristics, professional variables, and perceived home visit effectiveness to teachers' perceived recognition of possible signs of child abuse and neglect. Perceived home visit effectiveness was positively associated with teachers' perceived recognition of possible signs of CAN and emerged as the strongest predictor in the final regression model. Female teachers reported higher levels of perceived recognition than male teachers. Although professional seniority was initially a significant predictor, its effect became non-significant after perceived home visit effectiveness was entered into the model. Marital status, parental status, number of children, educational level, frequency of home visits, previous CAN training, and previous encounter with abuse or neglect were not significant predictors in the final model. The findings suggest that teachers' perceived recognition of possible CAN indicators is associated more strongly with their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of home visits than with demographic or professional characteristics. Home visits may provide valuable opportunities for understanding children's family environments and strengthening school–family partnerships, thereby supporting teachers' awareness of potential child protection concerns. Although this study was conducted in Türkiye, the findings may have broader implications for educational systems seeking to strengthen the early recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect.