Searching for solutions: A study on preventing child sexual abuse.

Abstract

The role of educators and schools in the prevention of child sexual abuse is a current, critical concern of Canadian educators. Canadian educators, like many others in society, have discovered the prevalence of child sexual abuse, hidden for generations. In light of the pivotal role played by schools in preventing child sexual abuse, the purpose of this dissertation was (1) to identify the information, skills, beliefs and attitudes essential in developing abuse prevention training programs; (2) to seek recommendations on teaching methods that are viewed as most effective in preventing child sexual abuse; (3) to seek recommendations on how to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs. The professional and research literature was reviewed. Based on quantitative and qualitative data derived from these reports, content, skills, teaching methods and evaluation ideas for child sexual abuse prevention programs were constructed. Data from professional literature were integrated with empirical data that was collected from a select sample of teachers, school administrators and social service workers. A modified Delphi technique was used to generate consensus on the essential elements of an abuse prevention program. Frequencies, percents, mean rankings and content analyses were employed in determining the most important aspects of child sexual abuse prevention programs. Two broad areas were identified as priorities for educators: (1) the need for a guiding framework for detecting child sexual abuse and implementing a school district wide protocol; (2) a guiding framework for dealing with the sexually abused child in the classroom context. Prevention requires viewing child sexual abuse in the wider context of family violence, violence against women, and relevant cultural contexts. Prevention also means taking an advocacy role in promoting a social policy of protecting children from sexual abuse and its detrimental consequences to physical and mental well-being and subsequent development.