Prevention of child sexual abuse: evaluation of a community media campaign

Given that mass media techniques have been an effective tool within the public health field for affecting behavioral change, these strategies may prove successful for the primary prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). This study was an independent evaluation of a CSA media campaign. Two hundred parents were recruited from eight sites across the United States. Results indicated that the combined mass media campaign affected knowledge about CSA at the time of intervention compared to no intervention. No significant differences were found in regards to CSA attitudes. A significant positive impact on primary prevention response behaviors assessed using hypothetical vignettes was found; however, no significant findings were noted for several other behavioral responses. Knowledge and behavioral gains were not maintained at the one-month follow-up. Small sample size at follow-up may have affected findings. Results of this study imply that media campaigns alone may not significantly affect primary prevention of CSA.