School-based childhood sexual abuse prevention programs: an integrative review

Abstract

One prevention strategy for childhood sexual abuse (CSA) involves educational programs delivered to children in the school environment. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to determine the state of the science on school-based CSA prevention programs. The authors extracted data from 26 articles that fit inclusion criteria to answer research questions on types of programs, methods used to evaluate programs, and program success. Analysis of the extracted data led to the identification of seven categories of teaching learning content. Delivery methods included films, plays, discussion, and role play. Most authors used an untreated or placebo control group pretest/posttest design for evaluation. According to the child outcome measures chosen, the majority of programs were successful. The review also found school nurses rarely involved in these programs. Although not a traditional aspect of their responsibilities, information from this review can help school nurses implement a school-based CSA prevention program.

Keywords: abuse; collaboration/multidisciplinary teams; evidence-based practice; integrative reviews; program development/evaluation; safety/injury prevention.