Prospective Educators' Knowledge of Children's Legal Rights

We investigated prospective educators' knowledge of the law as it affects children using a specially designed instrument, a Survey of Children's Legal Rights. Subjects were 248 sophomores enrolled in a midwestern college of education. Questions focused on children's legal rights with respect to: abuse, freedom of press and speech, suspension and expulsion from school, corporal punishment, juvenile court hearings, special education decisions, freedom of religion, search and seizure within school, divorce and child custody, school vandalism, and school attendance. Analyses indicate that prospective educators have limited legal knowledge, and in specific cases have misconceptions about the law. Because our society is becoming increasingly more litigious, the need for colleges of education to adapt their curriculums to include legal issues is also addressed

Mathematics education · Political science · Sociology · Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric Healthcare · Legal Issues in Education · Psychology