Peer-reviewed article

School‐based abuse prevention programming: Implementation of child safety matters with minority youth

Maureen C. Kenny, Haiying Long, Deborah L. Billings, Fayeza S. Malik · 10 Feb 2022

Abstract

Abstract Schools are a natural choice for providing prevention information about victimisation to children and young people. This study examines the implementation of the Monique Burr Foundation's Child Safety Matters program with minority youth attending public school. The program was implemented with children aged four to 13 years, primarily in schools in low‐income areas in a large, multicultural public school system. Pre‐ and post‐test assessments of the program showed small significant improvements over time regardless of grade or gender, though with ceiling effects in the pre‐tests. Regarding the most important information learned, youth responded with themes of bullying, safety rules, Internet safety and abuse. Five children made direct disclosures of sexual or physical abuse to the presenter and were subsequently reported to the child abuse hotline. Teachers, in whose classrooms the program was delivered, reported satisfaction with the program, and an increased sense of competence in identifying abuse. Implications for administering and assessing prevention programs are provided. Key Practitioner Messages School wide prevention programming can begin in schools with children as young as 5 years of age and expose a wide range of students to important knowledge and self‐protection skills. Children who participated in the Child Safety Matters program showed significant gains in knowledge over time regardless of grade or gender. Participation in a school‐based abuse prevention program may lead to disclosures of abuse among participants.