Teachers' beliefs about maltreatment of students with emotional behavioraldisorders

A national survey of 556 teachers of students with emotional/behavior disor ders (E/BD) was conducted to identify special educators' beliefs about chil d maltreatment among the students they taught. The respondents reported tha t they believed approximately 38% of their students had been abused physica lly or sexually, 41% had been neglected, and 51% had been abused emotion; a lly. The teachers reported that the behavior of their students, student rep orts, physical signs, and reports from others led them to believe that abus e or neglect had occurred. Furthermore, they reported that their students d isplayed many personal and behavioral characteristics often identified as i ndicators of maltreatment. Of the teachers surveyed, 82% related that they had reported maltreatment and that their reports were made most often to sc hool administrators and least often to the abuse and neglect hotline. Impli cations for the education and treatment of children who have been maltreate d and have E/BD are discussed as well as recommendations far research.