Mary L Pulido1, Sarah Dauber, Brenda A Tully, Paige Hamilton, Michael J Smith, Katherine Freeman. 1. Mary L. Pulido, Sarah Dauber, Brenda A. Tully, and Paige Hamilton, are with The New York Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children, New York, NY. Michael J. Smith is with the Silberman School of Social Work, New York, NY. Katherine Freeman is with Extrapolate LLC, Delray Beach, FL.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We evaluated a school-based child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention program, Safe Touches, in a low-socioeconomic status, racially diverse sample. METHODS:Participants were 492 second- and third-grade students at 6 public elementary schools in New York City. The study period spanned fall 2012 through summer 2014. We cluster-randomized classrooms to the Safe Touches intervention or control groups and assessed outcomes with the Children's Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire. Hierarchical models tested change in children's knowledge of inappropriate and appropriate touch. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group on knowledge of inappropriate touch. Children in second grade and children in schools with a greater proportion of students in general (vs special) education showed greater gains than other participants in knowledge of inappropriate touch. We observed no significant change in knowledge of appropriate touch among control or intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS:Young children benefited from a school-based, 1-time CSA prevention program. Future research should explore the efficacy of CSA prevention programs with children before the second grade to determine optimal age for participation.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: We evaluated a school-based childsexual abuse (CSA) prevention program, Safe Touches, in a low-socioeconomic status, racially diverse sample. METHODS:Participants were 492 second- and third-grade students at 6 public elementary schools in New York City. The study period spanned fall 2012 through summer 2014. We cluster-randomized classrooms to the Safe Touches intervention or control groups and assessed outcomes with the Children's Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire. Hierarchical models tested change in children's knowledge of inappropriate and appropriate touch. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group on knowledge of inappropriate touch. Children in second grade and children in schools with a greater proportion of students in general (vs special) education showed greater gains than other participants in knowledge of inappropriate touch. We observed no significant change in knowledge of appropriate touch among control or intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS: Young children benefited from a school-based, 1-time CSA prevention program. Future research should explore the efficacy of CSA prevention programs with children before the second grade to determine optimal age for participation.
Authors: Kate Guastaferro; Jacqueline L Holloway; Jessica Trudeau; Lauren B Lipson; S Sunshine; Jennie G Noll; Mary L Pulido Journal: J Child Sex Abus Date: 2022-08-12
Authors: Kate Guastaferro; John M Felt; Sarah A Font; Christian M Connell; Sheridan Miyamoto; Kathleen M Zadzora; Jennie G Noll Journal: Child Maltreat Date: 2020-10-07