Improving Preschoolers' Comprehension of Sex Abuse Prevention Concepts Through Video Repetition

Because of their ease of administration and acceptance among parents, sex abuse prevention videotapes remain widely used. However, such video-based programs have shown limited effectiveness among preschool-aged children, the group most vulnerable to abuse. This study sought to determine whether having preschoolers review those video segments they did not comprehend initially, would increase their comprehension of sex abuse prevention concepts. Children who reviewed the concepts learned significantly more than children who viewed the segment once, even though an adult co-viewer explained the content to them. This efficient and simple method of enhancing young children's comprehension holds great promise for improving video-based sex abuse prevention efforts.