Sexual abuse of children and knowledge of professionals in this issue

The theoretical part of this diploma thesis concentrates on child abuse, with a particular emphasis on sexual abuse. I identify warning signs of child sexual abuse, the characteristics of the perpetrators and the consequences of sexual abuse as well as discuss appropriate measures for its prevention and the role of kindergartens as institutions and kindergarten workers. Furthermore, I assess the importance of sex education and review some literature which can be useful for kindergarten workers when discussing this topic. The empirical part is based on the results of a survey that was conducted among kindergarten workers about their knowledge on child sexual abuse or personal experience with children exposed to sexual abuse. All kindergarten workers need to possess sufficient knowledge that will enable them to identify such abuse and take action against it. The survey sample consisted of 60 kindergarten workers. Only 11.7% of them have already had a personal experience with a sexually abused child and the majority of them (71.4%) said that their knowledge on the subject had been insufficient. Therefore, it can be concluded that kindergarten workers do not possess adequate information and knowledge on child sexual abuse