title: Emotionally Abusive Behavior in Italian Middle School Teachers as Identified by Students.
abstract: The aim of this article was to estimate the prevalence of psychological maltreatment in Italian middle school students by their teachers, and to test the applicability of surveying instruments for this phenomenon in Italian educational settings. The sample consisted of 105 teachers and 128 middle school students, who were asked about their experiences with emotionally abusive behaviors (i.e., demeaning, discriminating, dominating, destabilizing, distancing, and diverse) in the Italian school system. Teachers did not tend to perceive their behavior as abusive, while the students showed a very high perception of abuse (98%). Males were more likely to be victims of abuse, and they also reported lower scores in the Achievement scale. Emotional child abuse is highly present in Italian educational settings, and there is a strong need for interventions aimed at supporting teacher education, in the hopes of increasing the general well-being in schools.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longobardi
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Settanni
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura Elvira
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Prino
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca Giovanna Maria
authors.initials: FGM
authors.lastname: Gastaldi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D000070777:School Teachers / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: child abuse; child maltreatment; classroom; emotional abuse; psychological maltreatment; teachers