A Survey of Students’ Knowledge about Child Sexual Abuse and Perceived Readiness to Provide Counseling Services

Authors

Jennifer Marie Foster, Western Michigan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Keywords

sexual abuse, training, preparation, counseling, supervision, competency

Subject Area

Counseling, Counselor Education, Higher Education Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling

Abstract

Master's level students in counselor education and counseling psychology (N = 304) were surveyed to explore their knowledge about child sexual abuse (CSA) and perceived readiness to provide related counseling services. While students demonstrated general knowledge about sexual abuse, preparedness to counsel was rated much lower with 69% of students indicating low levels of competency. Data was analyzed to explore demographic characteristics that led to increased readiness scores. Indicators of statistically significant higher readiness scores included: prior work or volunteer experience with victims of sexual abuse, participation in CSA trainings, and supervised field experience. Implications for student training and recommendations for counselor preparation programs are delineated.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.7729/91.1165

Recommended Citation

Foster, J. M. (2017). A Survey of Students’ Knowledge about Child Sexual Abuse and Perceived Readiness to Provide Counseling Services. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 9(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.7729/91.1165