“The tip of the iceberg”: Multiple thresholds in schools' detecting and reporting of child abuse and neglect

Abstract Introduction School principals have a very important role to play in the detection and reporting of child abuse and neglect (CAN). How schools address concerns relating to CAN is an under-researched area in Aotearoa New Zealand. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary and intermediate ( n  = 16) school principals. A selection of that data was examined with regard to threshold determination in CAN. Findings Thresholds, both definitional and action-based, were found to be multi-determined, with case, teacher and, critically, perceptions of the statutory child protection agency found to have an impact. Implications Findings indicate there is no”one” threshold in the detection of, or the reporting of CAN in schools. Further, there are clear opportunities for future research; including understanding the nature of the relationship between schools and the statutory child protection agency, Oranga Tamariki. 1