Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
David Rentler
Abstract
Educator sexual misconduct continues to present a problem in U.S. K–12 schools. Asmandatory reporters, K–12 educators must report any suspicion of educator sexual misconduct, but despite state and federal laws regarding reporting, educator sexual misconduct often goes unreported. The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to learn more about how U.S. K–12 educators perceive underreporting of educator sexual misconduct. The integrated change model served as this study’s conceptual framework. Semistructured interviews were conducted to collect data from eight educators in K–12 schools in two school districts in North Carolina. Coding analysis was used to identify themes. Five themes related to reporting barriers to educator sexual misconduct emerged: problematic training, inconsistent training across schools, lack of rapport with supervisors, fear of repercussions for reporting, and lack of accountability and consequences for not reporting. Three themes related to overcoming those barriers to reporting emerged: Title 9 training, professional conduct, and accountability for not reporting. These findings could be used for positive social change to decrease barriers to reporting, improve mandatory reporting and sexual harassment training, and keep students safe from harm.
Recommended Citation
Kornegay, Nina Cordella, "The Underreporting of Educator Sexual Misconduct in K-12 Schools" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 11533.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/11533
