NCJ Number
95551
Date Published
1982
Length
28 pages
Annotation
The Personal Safety Project was conducted at an elementary school in Vancouver, British Columbia to prevent child sexual misuse/abuse.
Abstract
Awareness and information workshops were held for teachers and parents, while a personal safety workshop was given for children to help them to identify exploitative touch situations and to call for appropriate assistance when needed. Questionnaire surveys indicate that teachers responded better to hypothetical situations (a child complaining of being sexually misused) and felt more comfortable about discussing sexual misuse in class after participating in the workshop. Parents indicated greater likelihood of believing children's complaints of sexual misuse and greater ease in discussing sexual topics at home after attending the workshop, but showed no improvement in knowing where to get appropriate assistance for a child's sexual misuse complaint. In an experimental situation in which first and fifth graders were examined for their ability to terminate a discomforting touch (a continuous handshake), all fifth graders who attended the program, but only 1 out of 10 first graders, successfully terminated the touch. In questionnaire responses, students showed improved awareness of potentially dangerous situations, indicated that they valued their bodies more, and demonstrated greater self-esteem after the program. Observed behavior problems decreased for intermediate students and remained constant for primary students after the program. (mjl) (Resources in Education (ERIC) abstract)