The research consists of a series of field studies which address a range of issues dealing with programs to prevent the sexual victimization of young children. Two studies will be conducted to increase understanding about the process of grooming a child for and engaging a child in an abusive relationship. A sample of sexually abused children and adults who sexually abused children will be interviewed to generate an empirical description of the victimization process as perceived by these key informants. The increased understanding of the victimization process will be used to revise a program to teach children prevention concepts and skills. A survey of parent attitutdes toward and knowledge about sexual abuse and sexual abuse prevention will be conducted to determine the relationship between these parent variables and parent prevention activities and attitudes. These studies will be used to revise a prevention program which will be evaluated in four experimental field studies; 1) Long-term effects of prevention; 2) Teacher versus outside trainer delivered prevention; 3) The effects of parent-assisted prevention training; and 4) an evaluation of key prevention components. Measurement of the effects of prevention training will include childrens' knowledge of prevention concepts and skills, a behavioral analogue measure of prevention skills, and the unanticipated effects of prevention training (e.g. changes in childrens' emotional lives.) Approximately 800 children in two geographically separate sites will be involved in the four field experiments.
| Berliner, L; Conte, J R (1990) The process of victimization: the victims' perspective. Child Abuse Negl 14:29-40 |
| Conte, J R; Wolf, S; Smith, T (1989) What sexual offenders tell us about prevention strategies. Child Abuse Negl 13:293-301 |
