Knowledge,Attitude and Practice of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention among Parents of Children with Hearing Loss: A Pilot Study in Beijing and Hebei Province,China

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention among parents of children with hearing loss. The study involved 127 pairs of parents with deaf and hard of hearing children from three special education schools in Beijing and Hebei province, China. The findings revealed that the parents lacked knowledge about CSA prevention, such as the character of perpetrators and child victims. Parents were supportive about potential CSA prevention education in schools. Most parents told children much about personal safety, but topics on CSA prevention were still insufficient. The study also found that education level was significantly associated with knowledge and attitude. Elder parents knew more and talked more about CSA prevention. Mothers and girls’ parents were more willing to communicate with children about CSA prevention. The conclusion of the study was that parents appeared to have gained a positive attitude, but poor knowledge and practice. Their knowledge and skills of effective communication should be strengthened to promote CSA prevention practice.     

Child sexual abuse: from prevention to self‐protection

There are a growing number of child abuse prevention and education programmes, including primarily group‐based parent and child education, which are taught by teachers within the school system. This article reviews some of the existing sexual abuse education and/or body safety programmes, as well as the research surrounding them. Advantages as well as criticisms of such programmes are reviewed. Issues such as target populations (i.e. children, teachers, parents), programme components and methodological limitations are addressed. Major findings include: children as young as three can be effectively taught self‐protection skills, parental and family involvement in training is important, and repeated exposure helps children maintain knowledge gains. The components of successful programmes include teaching children to identify and resist inappropriate touching, reassuring children that it is not their fault and learning the proper names of their genitals. Finally, future directions for programme development, research and policy are explored. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preventing child sexual abuse: parents' perceptions and practices in urban Nigeria

This study examined parents' perceptions of child sexual abuse as well as prevention practices in an urban community in southwest Nigeria. Questionnaires were collected from 387 parents and caregivers of children younger than 15 years of age. Results showed that many parents felt CSA was a common problem in the community, and most parents disagreed with common child sexual abuse myths. In addition, almost all parents ( >90%) reported communicating with their child(ren) about stranger danger. However, about 47% felt their children could not be abused, and over a quarter (27.1%) often left their children alone and unsupervised. There were no significant variations in the perceptions of child sexual abuse and communication practices. The implications of findings for child sexual abuse prevention are discussed.     

Parent's Perceptions of Their Child's Knowledge of Sexual Abuse Prevention Concepts

This research investigates the relationship of parental knowledge of the seriousness of child sexual abuse and their children's understanding of sexual abuse prevention concepts. A total of 284 parents and their elementary school-aged children were surveyed immediately after and 5 months after the children participated in a school-based child abuse prevention program. In the first survey, the parents were asked whether they had provided prevention materials or had talked to their child about sexual abuse. At 5 months, 201 parents answered a short test of knowledge regarding child sexual abuse. At the same time, their children completed a 40 item Children's Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire (C.K.A.Q.) and the parents were asked to predict how their child would respond to 10 key items from this measure. Results indicated that parents in general were likely to overestimate the knowledge levels of the younger children. However, parents with higher knowledge levels more accurately predicted how their child would respond to the selcted C.K.A.Q. items.     

Prevention of child sexual abuse: implications of programme evaluation research

Thirty child abuse prevention programme evaluation studies were selected according to a set of methodological criteria following an extensive manual and computer literature search. Targets for intervention in 17 studies were children; in three parents; in four teachers; and in six studies multisystemic programmes were evaluated where some combination of children, parents and teachers was targeted for intervention. From a review of the 30 studies, it was concluded that child abuse prevention programmes can lead to significant gains in children's, parents' and teachers' safety knowledge and skills. Best practice guidelines arising from the review include the use of multisystemic programmes; child‐focused curricula which cover a wide range of safety skills and concepts; and the use of didactic instruction and discussion, video modelling and active behavioural skills training techniques in programme delivery. The curricula for parents' and teachers' programmes should cover child protection issues and local child protection procedures along with an overview of the children's programme lesson plans. Longer programmes conducted by trained staff are preferable and such staff may include teachers, parents, mental health professionals and law enforcement officers. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parents' knowledge,attitudes and practices about preventing child sexual abuse: a literature review

Increased concern about high rates of child sexual abuse has led to the demand for more prevention programmes, particularly those aimed at parents. Research on how parents manage and reduce the risk of child sexual abuse can help plan programmes. This literature review explores published research on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents on the risk and prevention of child sexual abuse and identifies gaps and needs for further research. The majority of studies reviewed originated in North America and Asia, were quantitative, surveyed mainly mothers and were more than ten years old. Recommendations are made for more current and country specific research, further research to gain a deeper understanding of how parents manage the risk of child sexual abuse, more comprehensive research covering a range of knowledge, attitude and practice variables, and greater inclusion of fathers in research. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parental Discussion of Child Sexual Abuse: Is It Associated with the Parenting Practices of Involvement,Monitoring, and General Communication?

We investigated whether parents who reported more positive parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, involvement, and communication) reported more discussion of child sexual abuse (CSA) with their children. Parents from Australia and the UK (N = 248), with children aged 6 to 11 years, completed an online survey. About half of parents reported directly discussing CSA, whereas 35% reported telling their children that CSA perpetrators may be family members. Rates of discussion were higher for other CSA-related topics such as body integrity and abduction. Correlational analyses showed that parents who reported speaking to their children about CSA also reported more positive parenting practices, more discussion of other sensitive topics, and assessed CSA risk for children (in general) to be higher. Discussion of CSA risk was not associated with parents' CSA knowledge, confidence or appraisal of own-child risk. Parents higher in positive parenting believed their children to be at less CSA risk. Parents who appraised higher own-child risk reported less positive parenting practices and were less confident about their parenting and their ability to protect their children from CSA. The findings are the first to report on the associations of parenting practices with parents' CSA discussion with their children.     

Pilot Evaluation of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for Taiwanese Children

The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a school-based child sexual abuse prevention program for Taiwanese children. Forty-six Taiwanese children age 6 to 13 were divided into one of two groups based on their school grade and then randomly assigned to a skills-based child sexual abuse prevention program who received training immediately or a waiting-list control condition who received the training after a delay. Children's self-protection skills improved regardless of age after participation in the program. The program, however, did not successfully improve children's knowledge of sexuality and safety. Although future studies should modify the program content to better target knowledge of sexuality and safety, these results are promising for a pilot of this skills-based CSA prevention program in Taiwan.     

Child abuse prevention: Blending research and practice

For over two decades, child abuse interventions have been plagued by poor definitions of what (or who) exactly is being treated, what constitutes ‘success’, and how services can be delivered in such a way as to minimize the harm to the child and to his/her family. Most recently, intervention/prevention programmes reflect the growing recognition that child maltreatment is the product of the interaction between the parent's abilities and resources and the child's emerging behavioural and emotional characteristics (i.e. the parent–child relationship), and place less emphasis on individual psychopathology. Accordingly, ways to strengthen this relationship offer considerably more promise than those aimed at correcting only one component (i.e. the parent) or treating only the visible symptoms of conflict. In an attempt to focus greater effort on prevention and early intervention, this paper reviews prominent risk factors that have been linked to physical abuse and neglect of children and their consequences. Major intervention targets are identified from this literature and discussed in reference to: (a) problems related to the family context; (b) child treatment needs; and (c) parent/caregiver treatment needs. The paper concludes with a discussion of promising developments in early intervention that are beginning to address problems in the early formation of the parent–child relationship (i.e. the pre-natal and infancy periods of development) and problems associated with parental competency and family support. Most notably, preventive efforts have been associated with more positive parenting knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviour, as well as fewer child injuries, emergency room visits, and reports to protective agencies among at-risk parents and children. Further evaluation and expansion of these programmes appears to be warranted by these data.     

Knowledge and Skills of Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Study on School-Aged Children in Beijing,China

To examine the level of child sexual abuse prevention knowledge and skills in a sample of school-aged children, a total of 559 children from first to fifth grade were recruited from one primary school in Beijing, China. Participants were asked to finish a questionnaire surveying their knowledge and skills of child sexual abuse prevention. Results showed that accurate rate of knowledge on child sexual abuse prevention were between 44.0% and 80.0%. Percentage of participants having applied the self-protection skills of “saying ‘no,’” “going away,” and “telling adults” properly in hypothetical situations was 57.4%, 28.3%, and 48.3%, respectively. Third-to-fifth graders had a better performance than first-to-second graders, and girls performed better than boys. Findings suggest that Chinese school-aged children are in need of knowledge and skills related to child sexual abuse prevention, and education programs should be developed as soon as possible.     

Parents’ Reports of Sexual Communication With Children in Kindergarten to Grade 8

We examined factors associated with parents’ reports of three aspects of parent‐child sexual communication, quality, frequency with which parents encouraged questions, and extent of communication, on each of 10 sexual health topics. Participants were 3,413 mothers and 426 fathers with children in kindergarten to grade 8. Parents’ demographic characteristics, own sexual health education, knowledge and comfort talking about sexuality with their children, and ratings of the importance of comprehensive school‐based sex education plus child gender and grade level were uniquely related to their self‐reported sexual communication with their children, although different predictors were associated with various topics. These results highlight the need to include characteristics of parents, their children, and the communication itself in research on parent‐child sexual communication.     

Parenting groups for parents whose children are in care

Excluding very severe child abuse cases, biological parents are usually encouraged to maintain contact with their children in care. Parent‐child contact is often considered important because it can maintain the child's psychological identity and well‐being. It can also maintain parent‐child attachment and in some cases facilitate reunification. Improving parenting skills is viewed as an important method by which contact between children and their biological parents can be enhanced. However, mainstream parenting groups are often unsuitable for parents whose children are in care for a number of reasons. There is stigma involved with having children in care, such parents have very complex lives and there are reduced opportunities to practise skills learnt with their children. Groups designed specifically for parents whose children are in care appear to be a promising approach to improving the quality of contact between these parents and their children. This paper will review group‐based approaches to working with biological parents whose pre‐school‐aged children have been placed in care. The paper will also report the findings of a research project designed to identify key facilitators and barriers to parental involvement in a group‐based programme which includes contact between parents and their children who have been placed in care. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Role of Maintaining Telephone Contact with Parents During the Teaching of a Personal Safety Program

Although recent evidence suggests that parents can be effective instructors of a personal safety program, the extent to which these results depend on maintaining contact with parents during program implementation has yet to be determined. This study examined the effectiveness of a program when taught by parents who either were or were not contacted during the teaching of the program. Preschool-aged children in both groups demonstrated enhanced knowledge and skill gains relative to children assigend to a delayed treatment control group. Low-income preschoolers learned prevention concepts and skills without being upset by the program, and their parents also appeared to benefit from teaching the program. However, the probability of completing the program was higher for parents who were contacted throughout program implementation, suggesting that personal contact may enhance motivation for some parents. Implications of the study for the child sexual abuse prevention field are discussed.     

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs for Kindergartners: A Survey of Public Actions,Attitudes, and Beliefs in Kuwait

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a child sexual abuse prevention programs in preschool children in Kuwait. Three hundred and twenty participants were conveniently selected to complete a self-administered 57-item questionnaire. The attitudes, beliefs, and actions of participants related to CSA prevention were examined. Results reported minimum actions taken by participants in relation to CSA prevention, limited knowledge of how to handle the subject with the children, strong agreement with the suggested contents of CSA prevention program, and overall positive beliefs about the expected outcomes of prevention programs. The findings suggest that it is feasible to implement CSA prevention programs on kindergartens. Applications and limitations of these findings are discussed.     

Preventing child abuse: a review of community-based projects II: Issues arising from reviews and future directions

Detailed examination of evaluated community programmes for the prevention of physical child abuse and neglect shows that success depends on matching the skills of the staff to the needs of the families. The relative inefficiency of risk screening and attrition from prevention programmes argues for comprehensive as well as focused aspects of programmes and variation in which is available. Sexual abuse prevention programmes have usually been implemented in schools but are more successful when the focus includes bullying and when children and parents are also actively involved. This is also true of bullying programmes. In establishing risk for abuse, more effective methods are required to assess aspects of family life that are not readily observable, including involved but non-resident adult males. It is important not only to approach abuse prevention by intervening in different ways and at different points in the network of processes within and around the family, but also to find cost-effective ways of sustaining preventative efforts. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Foster Parenting the Sexually Abused

The number of foster children with histories of sexual abuse has increased over the past decade. These children often demonstrate symptomatology which can tax the resources of foster parents. We describe a program designed to enhance parental sense of competence in dealing with abused children via the integration of parenting skills training with education on normative sexual development and child sexual abuse. Foster parents demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge and comfort with sexual development, behaviors associated with sexual abuse, and an increase in parental sense of competence. Additional analyses suggest a relationship between a child's sexual history and its impact on current foster parenting attitudes.     

Sexual Abuse Prevention Concept Knowledge: Low Income Children Are Learning but Still Lagging

School-based child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention programs have proliferated since beginning over 30 years ago. Research on program effectiveness has emphasized summative outcomes while under-reporting implementation and process fidelity, limiting reliable comparisons across programs and populations. External validity is further limited by racially and economically homogenous samples, or a failure to report such demographics. This article presents data from a CSA prevention program delivered to 2nd and 3rd grade public school children. A formative concept and item level analysis on the Children’s Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire at baseline and four week follow-up, as well as fidelity and implementation data, are reported. Results show that children learn and retain certain concepts, but vary widely in knowledge across items. This sample of low-income, minority children also show lower baseline and “learned” abuse prevention knowledge compared to published norms, which is not attributed to implementation variability. These data give critical insight into workshop effectiveness that is masked in summative reporting, yet essential to adapting and strengthening school-based CSA programs. Knowing the long-term consequences of adverse childhood experiences and disparate health outcomes linked to race and socioeconomic status, it is imperative to adequately assess CSA prevention program impact across diverse populations.     

Twice Silenced: The Underreporting of Child Sexual Abuse in Orthodox Jewish Communities

ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse remains an underreported crime throughout the world, despite extensive research and resources dedicated both to improving investigative techniques and helping children disclose their experiences. The discovery of rampant cover-ups within the Catholic Church has exposed some of the ways religious and cultural issues can impede reporting to authorities. This article examines specific factors that contribute to the underreporting of child sexual abuse within Orthodox Jewish communities. It also explores ways in which these communities have handled child sexual abuse reporting in the past and describes recent progress. Implications are offered for CSA prevention, detection, and recovery in Orthodox Jewish communities as well as other minority religious groups.     

The Relationship between a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Gender Role Attitudes

This study explored the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and gender role attitudes. Female university students rated themselves and their parents on gender role attitudes and history of childhood sexual abuse. Traditional participant gender role attitude and social isolation were associated with reporting being sexually abused as a child and may thus be risk factors for, or the result of a history of, CSA in women. Traditional participant gender role attitude and low income were associated with victim distress and therefore may be detrimental to coping with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Although replication of these results is needed, discovery of attitudinal and demographic variables associated with CSA may be important in the prevention and treatment of CSA.     

Elementary School-age Children's Attitudes Toward Children in Same-Sex Parent Families

As numbers of families with same-sex parents increase in the United States, children are more likely to encounter diverse family structures. Given that young children can demonstrate in-group bias, prejudicial attitudes, and social exclusion, it is important to understand how children perceive their peers in diverse families. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed elementary-school-age children's attitudes about same-sex parent families. Here, 131 elementary school students (M_age = 7.79 years; 61 girls) viewed images of same-sex (female and male) and other-sex couples with a child and then were asked about their perceptions of these families, particularly the children. Results indicated participants' preferences toward children with other-sex versus same-sex parents. Developmental and practical implications about children's attitudes toward sexual minority parent families are discussed.