[Evaluation of school-based child sexual abuse prevention program].

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Public Health
• Social Work

Background:

• Child sexual abuse poses significant risks to minors.
• Structured prevention programs are crucial for safeguarding children.
• Early intervention enhances children's ability to recognize and respond to abuse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Spain's first structured "Prevention of child sexual abuse" program.
• To assess the program's impact on children's risk awareness and coping strategies.
• To determine the program's effectiveness in secondary prevention, specifically encouraging disclosure.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 382 minors aged 8 to 12 years.
• Implementation of the "Prevention of child sexual abuse" program.
• Assessment of program impact on risk awareness, coping skills, and disclosure rates.

Main Results:

• The program significantly increased children's awareness of sexual abuse risks.
• Children demonstrated improved skills in coping with potential abuse scenarios.
• The program enhanced the likelihood of children disclosing abusive events, indicating secondary prevention success.

Conclusions:

• The "Prevention of child sexual abuse" program is highly effective in empowering children.
• The program demonstrates positive outcomes in both primary and secondary prevention of child sexual abuse.
• Observed adverse effects reported by parents and educators were negligible, supporting program safety.