NCJ Number
137490
Journal
Journal of Child and Youth Care Dated: special issue (Fall 1991) Pages: 23-41
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A conceptual framework for organizing the wide range of child sexual abuse prevention programs utilizes four preconditions necessary for sexual abuse to occur. These preconditions are that the potential offender must have had a motivation to abuse a child sexually, had to overcome internal inhibitions to act on that motivation, had to overcome external impediments to committing sexual abuse, and had to undermine a child's possible resistance to the sexual abuse.
Abstract
Programs in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention are identified under each of these preconditions. Primary prevention refers to programs directed to a population before abuse occurs. Secondary prevention relates to early intervention and treatment to minimize the long-term consequences of abuse. Tertiary prevention programs are designed to minimize the long-term consequences to children who have been abused. School-based programs have become the format of choice for the prevention of child sexual abuse in both Canada and the U.S. Schools provide an appropriate setting for prevention efforts because students spend so much time there and have ongoing contact which allows teachers to detect changes and problems in behavior and because schools often have a functioning relationship with the students' parents. Nonetheless, other approaches, including treatment for offenders and victims and professional training for teachers, doctors, and social workers, have not received similar support despite their importance in preventing child sexual abuse. 1 table and 82 references