Child abuse & neglect · 2026
Trust and self-efficacy in reporting child sexual abuse to law enforcement: Evidence from Germany.
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Mensing Frieda, Bayer Lennart, Cigelski Maike, Pülschen Simone
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Reporting suspected child sexual abuse (CSA) to law enforcement (LE) is a complex process for professionals working with children. Existing research indicates that both individual (e.g., self-efficacy) and institutional factors (e.g., trust in and collaboration with authorities) influence reporting behaviour, but their specific roles in this context remain underexplored.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigates how CSA-specific self-efficacy and trust in LE predict German professionals' attitudes toward reporting suspected CSA, how these concepts interdepend and whether these relationships vary across key professional groups.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: An online survey was completed by 608 professionals in Germany, including school personnel, child protection professionals and LE.
METHODS: Participants completed validated scales measuring CSA-specific self-efficacy and trust in LE in cases of CSA. Logistic and linear regression analyses examined differences in reporting attitudes between professional groups and tested the predictive role of self-efficacy and trust on willingness to report suspected CSA to LE.
RESULTS: Teachers showed significantly higher odds of endorsing mandatory reporting than child protection professionals. Trust in LE was strongly associated with higher odds of reporting (OR ∼ 4.0), whereas CSA-specific self-efficacy did not independently predict reporting when controlling for trust and professional group membership. Self-efficacy did not mediate the trust-reporting relationship.
CONCLUSIONS: Institutional trust appears to be a critical determinant of CSA reporting attitudes among professionals, exceeding the influence of self-efficacy. Efforts to enhance collaboration and perceptions of fairness and competence within law enforcement may strengthen reporting behaviour and improve systemic responses to CSA.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigates how CSA-specific self-efficacy and trust in LE predict German professionals' attitudes toward reporting suspected CSA, how these concepts interdepend and whether these relationships vary across key professional groups.
PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: An online survey was completed by 608 professionals in Germany, including school personnel, child protection professionals and LE.
METHODS: Participants completed validated scales measuring CSA-specific self-efficacy and trust in LE in cases of CSA. Logistic and linear regression analyses examined differences in reporting attitudes between professional groups and tested the predictive role of self-efficacy and trust on willingness to report suspected CSA to LE.
RESULTS: Teachers showed significantly higher odds of endorsing mandatory reporting than child protection professionals. Trust in LE was strongly associated with higher odds of reporting (OR ∼ 4.0), whereas CSA-specific self-efficacy did not independently predict reporting when controlling for trust and professional group membership. Self-efficacy did not mediate the trust-reporting relationship.
CONCLUSIONS: Institutional trust appears to be a critical determinant of CSA reporting attitudes among professionals, exceeding the influence of self-efficacy. Efforts to enhance collaboration and perceptions of fairness and competence within law enforcement may strengthen reporting behaviour and improve systemic responses to CSA.