Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness Training in Nursing Students

Overview

This randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the effect of a child abuse and neglect awareness training program on the knowledge and awareness levels of nursing students. Child abuse and neglect remain significant global public health issues, and healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, play a key role in early recognition and intervention. The study will be conducted among undergraduate nursing students at a university in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. Both groups will complete a pre-test to assess baseline knowledge levels. The experimental group will receive a structured training program on child abuse and neglect delivered by an expert nurse working at a Child Advocacy Center under the Ministry of Health, while the control group will not receive any intervention during the study period. One month after the intervention, both groups will complete a post-test to assess changes in knowledge and awareness levels. The primary outcome of the study is the difference in awareness test scores between the pre-test and post-test. The findings are expected to contribute to improving educational strategies and enhancing the competencies of future nurses in recognizing and managing child abuse and neglect cases.

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with a pre-test and post-test design to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured child abuse and neglect awareness training program among nursing students. The study will be conducted at a foundation university in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2026. The study population consists of undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years. Based on power analysis, a total of 120 participants will be included in the study, with 60 participants assigned to the experimental group and 60 to the control group. Participants will be selected according to inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to groups using a stratified randomization method based on class level and gender to ensure homogeneity between groups. After enrollment, all participants will complete a Personal Information Form and a pre-test to assess baseline knowledge levels. The experimental group will receive a structured training program on child abuse and neglect delivered by an expert nurse working at a Child Advocacy Center affiliated with the Ministry of Health. The training content includes general information about child abuse and neglect, types and indicators of abuse, legal responsibilities, institutional procedures, and management of suspected cases. The training will be delivered through face-to-face sessions supported by educational materials. The control group will not receive any intervention during the study period. One month after the training, both groups will complete the post-test. The primary outcome measure is the knowledge and awareness score obtained from the assessment tools. Secondary outcomes include comparisons of pre-test and post-test scores within and between groups. Ethical approval will be obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Istanbul Arel University prior to the study. Participation is voluntary, and written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Data confidentiality and participant anonymity will be strictly maintained throughout the study.