NCJ Number
145388
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 83-104
Date Published
1993
Length
22 pages
Annotation
To examine the relationship between parental knowledge of the seriousness of child sexual abuse and their children's understanding of sexual abuse prevention concepts, a sample of 284 parents and their elementary school-aged children were surveyed immediately after and 5 months after the children completed a school-based prevention curriculum.
Abstract
The first survey asked parents if they had provided their children with information or material on preventing sexual abuse. At the follow-up, 201 parents answered a short test of knowledge regarding child sexual abuse, while their children completed a 40-item questionnaire and the parents were asked to predict how their own children would respond to 10 of the key items. A high percentage of parents reported talking to their children about child sexual abuse, perhaps reflecting a general trend in public knowledge and concern over the issue. The results showed that parents were least able to predict the level of knowledge among kindergartners and first graders than among older children who could more easily grasp concepts of abuse prevention. Parents tended to overestimate the knowledge level of younger children. Finally, parents who were better educated about child abuse were able to gauge more accurately how their children would answer specific questions. 3 tables and 36 references