Effectiveness of school-based child sexual abuse intervention among school children in the new millennium era: Systematic review and meta-analyses

Factors related to delayed disclosure among victims of child sexual abuse in Singapore

BACKGROUND

Delayed disclosure is a prevalent and serious issue among victims of child sexual abuse (CSA). Identifying the factors associated with delayed disclosure can identify the profile of children who are at risk of delaying disclosures and inform measures to facilitate timely disclosure.

OBJECTIVE

The current study represented a pioneering effort to investigate factors that are related to disclosure of CSA in Singapore. It examined the influence of various victim and abuse characteristics on the time taken for a victim to disclose CSA.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A total of 252 CSA cases that were referred to the psychology department of Singapore's Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed.

METHODS

Cases were coded for the study variables and multivariate Cox regression was conducted to analyze the impact of each variable of interest on the time taken to disclose the abuse.

RESULTS

It was found that the following sub-populations of CSA victims were associated with delayed disclosure: younger victims, female victims (as compared to male victims), victims with higher severity of sexual abuse (e.g., forced intercourse), and victims who were abused by in-home caregivers (as compared to acquaintances).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from the study generated practical implications to help reduce the time victims take to disclose CSA in the Singaporean context.

Piloting an Alternative Implementation Modality for a School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Curriculum

BACKGROUND

In the U.S., the most pervasive child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention strategy involves school-based prevention programs; however, the reach of these programs is limited due to implementation constraints, such as budgets or turnover. This is notable as standard delivery of often requires two facilitators in the classroom. Leveraging a natural experiment in the implementation of Safe Touches, the current study sought to explore the feasibility of implementation with a single facilitator using pre-recorded videos compared to the standard in-person delivery.

METHODS

A six-item CSA-related knowledge questionnaire was delivered to (N = 1480) second-graders post-workshop. An independent-samples t-test was used to compare the mean of CSA-related knowledge item responses for each delivery modality. Student-level data were paired with teacher evaluations and an interview with the facilitator.

RESULTS

Across workshops delivered in 25 schools, there was no significant difference in knowledge based on CSA-related questions by workshop modality. Teachers indicated the facilitators responded effectively to the children's questions and comments in both delivery modalities. Input from the facilitator was positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Triangulation of student knowledge, teacher input, and facilitator experience indicates the viability and feasibility of this implementation strategy for Safe Touches, and potentially other school-based CSA prevention programs. To ensure equitable access to the CSA prevention program, the empirical examination of, and investment in, alternative implementation options for school-based CSA preventive programs is encouraged.

Awareness on good and bad touch among school children in north Gujarat, India

It is not common to discuss child sexual assault in open conversation. Hence, it is vital to explain the distinction between good and harmful contact in order to stop harmful touch and preserve the safety of children. Therefore, it is of interest to assess the efficacy of teaching initiatives addressing appropriate and inappropriate touching with a view to reducing child sexual abuse. Thus, an experimental research design was employed. Further, a single group pre-test and post-test design was chosen. The data collected from 60 school children at Visnagar, Gujarat, India. Data shows that the mean post-test knowledge score, which averaged at 16.03, was higher than the mean pre-test knowledge score (5.6). Thus, educational programs on child sexual abuse can significantly improve awareness among school children.