College students' recollections of childhood sexual abuse prevention programs and their potential impact on reduction of sexual victimization
Abstract
Background Child sexual abuse prevention programs are offered in many schools globally, but research is scant on whether or not these programs actually decrease the rates of CSA among youth who participate in them. Objective This study sought to determine if participation in a CSA prevention program (based on participant recall), in the US or another country, led to lower rates of self-reported past victimization among youth, affected disclosure and effects on sexual satisfaction. Participants and setting One thousand five hundred and two students from an ethnically and racially diverse university in the southeast served as participants. Methods Participants completed measures on line (Qualtrics). This included demographic information and participation in CSA prevention programs in schools, concepts that were covered, and recollections of sexual victimization. The second measure was a revised version of the sexual satisfaction scale (Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory). Results Students who had not participated in a CSA prevention program were significantly more likely to be abused than those who did participate, regardless of the program or location (χ2 (1,1498) = 19.01, p < .001). Those participating in programs in the US were more likely to disclose abuse than those participating in the programs in other countries (χ2 (1,212) = 5.49, p = .019). No significant difference was found between those who participated in prevention programming and those who did not on sexual satisfaction (χ2 (1,1469) = 1.76, p = .184). Conclusion These results highlight the importance of universal CSA prevention programs in schools worldwide as one part of comprehensive prevention.
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In Kenny et al. (2020), 5% of CSAPP attendees reported experiencing sexual abuse compared with 10% of non-attendees.
“finding that 62% had attended a school-based program, and that 5% of CSAPP attendees reported experiencing sexual abuse, compared with 10% of non-attendees.”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
Two studies of university students reported a significant association between CSAPP attendance and experience of CSA.
“However, the remaining two studies of university students' experiences did report a significant association between CSAPP attendance and experience of CSA (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al., 2020).”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
CSAPP effectiveness has also been investigated using retrospective self-reports of CSA education and CSA victimization gathered from children, adolescents, and university students.
“CSAPP effectiveness has also been investigated using retrospective self-reports of CSA education and CSA victimization gathered from children, adolescents, and university students (Finkelhor et al., 1995, 2014; Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al., 2020; Ko & Cosden, 2001).”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
CSA experience items were derived from past research.
“Using items derived from past research (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al., 2020), participants were asked about sexual abuse using the following two items.”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
The current study found much lower rates of CSA education at school than previous North American studies with university samples; only 29% of the current sample recalled CSAPP attendance compared to 62% of students in the US (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al. 2020).
“We found much lower rates of CSA education at school than both the previous North American studies with university samples; only 29% of the current sample recalled CSAPP attendance compared to 62% of students in the US (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al. 2020).”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al. 2020
The current study's CSA rate (24%) is higher than the 17% reported by Kenny et al. (2020), the 10% reported by Gibson and Leitenberg (2000), and the global prevalence rate of 12% reported in a 2011 meta-analysis (Stoltenborgh et al., 2011).
“This rate is higher than the 17% reported by Kenny et al. (2020), and considerably higher than both the 10% reported by Gibson and Leitenberg (2000) and the global prevalence rate of 12% reported in a meta-analysis in 2011 (Stoltenborgh et al., 2011).”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al. (2020)
Gibson and Leitenberg (2000) and Kenny et al. (2020) reported significant associations between attendance at a CSAPP and experiences of CSA in US university samples.
“This finding contrasts the results reported by both Gibson and Leitenberg (2000) and Kenny et al. (2020), who reported significant associations between attendance at a CSAPP and experiences of CSA in US university samples.”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
The current study found that 66% of participants had disclosed their abuse, a figure which sits between those reported by Kenny et al. (2020; 50%) and Gibson & Leitenberg (2000; 77-83%).
“We found that 66% of participants had disclosed their abuse, a figure which sits between those reported by the studies we are replicating (50%; Kenny et al., 2020; 77-83%; Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000).”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
The high proportion of female participants does not affect comparisons with the two previous studies because those studies involved women-only (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000) and women-majority (82%; Kenny et al., 2020) university samples.
“However, these considerations do not affect comparisons with the two previous studies as these involved women-only (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000), and women-majority (82%; Kenny et al., 2020) university samples.”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
Previous retrospective research (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al., 2020) did not explore the associations between CSA education and CSA knowledge.
“Despite the importance of knowledge as an outcome of CSA education and prevention, previous retrospective research (Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000; Kenny et al., 2020) did not explore these associations.”
From Recall of sexual abuse prevention education at school and home: Associations with sexual abuse experience, disclosure, protective parenting, and knowledge (2022) · cites this paper as Kenny et al., 2020
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- Authors
- Kenny, M. C., Helpingstine, C., & Long, H.
- Affiliations
- Florida International University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kenny, Maureen C.
- Venue
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-06
- Volume
- 104
- Pages
- 104486
- ISSN
- 0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3016108932
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6
- FWCI
- 5.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Military, Security, and Education Studies
- Keywords
- child sexual abuse, school-based prevention, university students, disclosure of abuse, sexual satisfaction, universal prevention, prevention program effectiveness
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child Abuse, Sexual, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Mental Recall, Sexual Behavior, Students, Universities, Crime Victims, Young Adult, Bullying
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