Abstract
This article describes and evaluates a K-6 child sexual abuse prevention curriculum that was piloted in a large northwestern school district 1986–89. Paired t-tests using pre-test and post-test scores from a random sample of 1,391 K-6 students indicates that significant learning occurred at all grade levels. Analysis of variance results suggest that, overall, learning is not related to students' gender or to the school's socioeconomic level. Responses by 197 teachers concerning their evaluations of curriculum materials and training were positive. Study limitations and future research plans and needs are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Araji, S. K. (1989). The effects of advocates on prevention. In N. Cathcart Barker (Ed.),Child abuse and neglect, (pp. 217–229). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Araji, S. K. (1985).Child physical and sexual abuse: Focus on prevention. Paper presented at U.S.-Sweden Physical and Sexual Abuse Conference, Stockholm, Sweden.
Araji, S. K., & Tucker, S. (1987).Child sexual abuse prevention programs: An evaluation study. Paper presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Meeting, Eugene, Oregon.
Binder, R. L., & McNiel, D. E. (1987). Evaluation of a school-based sexual abuse prevention program: Cognitive and emotional effects.Child Abuse & Neglect.II, 497–506.
Buckley, J. (1986). Legal intervention and reforms in child sexual abuse cases. Mary Nelson and Kay Clark (Eds.),Preventing Child Sexual Abuse, (pp. 56–66), Santa Cruz, CA: Network Publications.
Burgess, A., Groth, N., Holmstrom, L., & Sgroi, S. (1983).Sexual assault of children and adolescents. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Cohn, A. H., & Daro, D. (1987). Is treatment too late: What ten years of evaluative research tells us.Child Abuse & Neglect, 11, 433–442.
Conte, J. R. (1991). Child sexual abuse: Looking backward and forward. Michael Quinn Patton (Ed.),Family sexual abuse: Frontline research and evaluation, (pp. 3–22). Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests.Psychometrika, 15, 297–334.
Dempster, H. L., & Roberts, J. (1991). Child sexual abuse research: A methodological quagmire.Child Abuse & Neglect, 5, 593–595.
Finkelhor, D. (1979).Sexually victimized children. New York, NY: Free Press.
Finkelhor, D. (1984).Child sexual abuse: New theory and research. New York, NY: Free Press.
Finkelhor, D., & Araji, S. K. (1986). Explanations of pedophilia: A four-factor model.The Journal of Sex Research, 22, 145–161.
Garbarino, J. (1986). Can we measure success in preventing child abuse? Issues in policy, programming and research.Child Abuse & Neglect, 10, 143–156.
Gil, E. & Johnson, T. C. (1992).Assessment and treatment of sexualized children and children who molest. Rockville, MD: Launch Press.
Hazzard, A. P., Keemeier, C. P., & Webb, C. (1990). Teacher versus expert presentations of sexual abuse prevention program.Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 5, 23–26.
Herman, J. (1981).Father-daughter incest. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hibbard, R. A., Serwint, J. & Connolly, M. (1987). Educational program on evaluation of alleged abuse victims.Child Abuse & Neglect, 15, 513–519.
Kempe, C. H. & Kempe, R. S. (1978).The common secret: Sexual abuse of children and adolescents. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company.
Kraizer, S. K. (1986). Rethinking prevention.Child Abuse & Neglect, 10, 259–261.
Morgan, S. R. (1984). Counseling with teachers on the sexual acting-out of disturbed children.Psychology in the Schools, 21, 234–243.
Muldoon, L. (1980).Incest: Confronting the silent crime. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Program for Victims of Sexual Assault, Documents Division.
O'Day, et al. (1983).Preventing sexual abuse of persons with disabilities: A curriculum for hearing impaired Physically disabled. blind and mentally retarded students. St. Paul, MN: State Documents Center.
Oetter, D. (1991). Personal Communications, January 23rd.
Peters, S. D., Wyatt, G. E., & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Prevalence. D. Finkelhor, S. Araji, L. Baron, A. Browne, S. D. Peters, and G. E. Wyatt (Eds.),Sourcebook on child sexual abuse, (pp. 15–49). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Rush, F. (1980).The best kept secret: Sexual abuse of children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Russell, D. (1982).Rape. child sexual abuse. sexual harassment in the Workplace: An analysis of the prevalence. causes and recommended solutions. Final report for the California Commission of Crime Control and Violence Prevention.
Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS). (1984, September). Special child sexual abuse issue. New York, NY: School of Education, New York University.
Sgroi, S. (1982).Handbook of clinical intervention in child sexual abuse. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. (1988).SPSS-X user's guide (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: SPSS, Inc.
Walters, D. (1975).Physical and sexual abuse of children. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Wolfe, D. A., MacPherson, T., Blount, R., & Wolfe, V. V. (1986). Evaluation of a brief intervention for educating school children in awareness of physical and sexual abuse.Child Abuse & Neglect, 10, 85–92.
Wurtele, S. (1987). School based sexual abuse prevention programs: A review.Child Abuse & Neglect, 11(4), 483–495.
Wurtele, S., Miller-Perrin, C., Kondrick, P., Morris, D., & Bratcher, D. (1987).Development of an instrument to measure children's responses to sexual abuse prevention programs. Unpublished manuscript, Washington State University. Pullman, WA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Araji, S.K., Fenton, R. & Straugh, T. Child sexual abuse: Description and evaluation of a K-6 prevention curriculum. J Primary Prevent 16, 149–164 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02407337
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02407337