Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.
Laura Andreu, Georgina Guilera and Noemí Pereda
Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)
Background: Misconceptions about child sexual abuse persist to this day. Assessing and challenging these beliefs among childcare professionals is essential to improve the quality of care provided to victims. The aim of the present study was to validate the CSAM scale in a sample of Spanish professionals, as well as to analyse their level of agreement with these misconceptions. Method: 1007 participants (86.1% female) with various professional profiles related to childcare completed the CSAM scale as part of a training programme. Results: The scale scores show a unidimensional structure (CFI = .99, TLI = .99, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .06) and good internal consistency (α and ω = .83). Spanish childcare professionals generally disagreed with the myths presented (M = 18.2; SD = 4.3). However, men had higher scores on some items; prior training decreased the level of agreement with the myths; and police officers showed the lowest knowledge of child sexual abuse. Conclusions: Knowledge among Spanish childcare professionals is generally adequate, however further training is still needed.
Antecedentes: Los mitos en relación a la violencia sexual contra la infancia perduran en la actualidad. Evaluar estas creencias erróneas entre los profesionales resulta fundamental para mejorar la calidad de la asistencia que brindan a las víctimas. El objetivo del presente estudio es validar la escala CSAM en una muestra de profesionales españoles, así como analizar su nivel de acuerdo con las creencias erróneas presentadas. Método: 1007 participantes (86.1% mujeres) de diferentes perfiles profesionales relacionados con la atención a la infancia completaron la escala CSAM como parte de un curso formativo. Resultados: Las puntuaciones de la escala muestran una estructura unidimensional (CFI = .99, TLI = .99, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .06) y una consistencia interna adecuada (α y ω = .83). Los profesionales españoles se muestran, generalmente, en desacuerdo con los mitos presentados (M = 18.2; DT = 4.3). No obstante, los hombres presentan puntuaciones más elevadas en algunos ítems; la formación previa disminuye el nivel de acuerdo con los mitos; y los profesionales de las fuerzas y cuerpos de seguridad mostraron un menor conocimiento de esta problemática. Conclusiones: Si bien el conocimiento entre los profesionales es adecuado en términos generales, resulta fundamental continuar desarrollando acciones formativas.
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https://doi.org/10.70478/psicothema.2025.37.15