A STUDY TO ASSESS THE AWARENESS ON PREVENTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE (CSA) AMONG TEACHERS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF GURUGRAM, HARYANA

This study was conducted and employed a descriptive research approach to assess awareness of child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention among 160 elementary school teachers in Gurugram, Haryana. Utilizing a non-probability purposive sampling technique, the researchers administered a structured knowledge questionnaire covering the incidence, forms, causes, effects, and prevention of CSA. The tool was validated by experts and demonstrated a high reliability coefficient of 0.8. The findings indicated a generally high level of awareness among the participants, with a mean knowledge score of 20.52± 3.467, representing a mean percentage of 79.84%. While 88.2% of the teachers demonstrated adequate knowledge and 11.2% showed moderate knowledge, area-wise analysis highlighted a disparity in understanding; knowledge regarding the prevention of abuse was highest at 85.90%, whereas the identification of various forms of sexual abuse was notably lower at 65.6%. Statistical analysis further revealed that there was no significant association between the teachers' level of knowledge and their demographic variables. The study concludes that while elementary teachers in the region are largely aware of the issue, there is a vital need for enhanced, specialized training to improve their ability to recognize and prevent the rising incidents of child sexual abuse effectively.