Child sexual abuse prevention programs: Do they decrease the occurrence ofchild sexual abuse?

Objective: The primary goal of the current study was to determine whether r ates of child sexual abuse differed among undergraduate women who either ha d or had not participated in a sexual abuse prevention program during child hood. A secondary goal was to determine whether differences emerged in sexu al satisfaction or avoidance of sexual activity between those women who had or had not participated in such a program. Method: Eight hundred and twenty-five women undergraduates from a New Engla nd state university filled out a survey on "sexual experiences" for researc h credit. Respondents were asked detailed questions regarding past historie s of child sexual abuse and participation in school-based prevention progra ms during childhood. Additionally, they responded to questions about their current sexual satisfaction and sexual behaviors. Results: Sixty-two percent of the sample reported having participated in a "good touch-bad touch" sexual abuse prevention program in school. Eight per cent of respondents who reported ever having had a prevention program also reported having been subsequently sexually abused, compared to 14% of respo ndents who did not ever have a prevention program. No differences were Foun d in adult sexual satisfaction or on behavioral measures of sexual activity between those respondents who had and had nor participated in a prevention program. Conclusions: This is the first study to find that school-based child sexual abuse prevention programs are associated with a reduced incidence of child sexual abuse. Additionally, contrary to concerns voiced in the literature, there was no evidence that prevention programs are associated with decreas ed sexual satisfaction or avoidance of sex in adulthood. Implications of th e results for further study are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.