Turkish school counselors' experiences of reporting child sexual abuse: A brief report

Abstract

This article reports results from a qualitative study conducted with a purposive sample of 25 Turkish school counselors who reported child sexual abuse. Participants were asked to identify resources they consulted, describe how they felt, and identify sources of support and barriers in the reporting process. The laws (68%) were the most consulted resource, while negative feelings (84%) were cited the most. The most cited sources of support were colleagues, lawyers, and school principals (20% each), while school principals also ranked first as barriers (44%), followed by incest victims' families (32%). Participants predominantly desired safety and security of the reporter ensured (48%). Implications for a more functional child protection system and a reporter-friendly legal system in Turkey are discussed.