NCJ Number
123780
Journal
Response to the Victimization of Women and Children Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: (1989) Pages: 14-21
Date Published
1989
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined young children's short-term acquisition and program-specific application of abuse prevention concepts.
Abstract
Testing was done with 116 preschool children who were socioeconomically and racially diverse. An instrument was developed to evaluate the effects of an abuse prevention program on young children's knowledge by asking them how a fictional child should respond to abuse in several storybook scenarios. The instrument also called for children to report what they would do in the same situations. The abuse prevention program used in the study was the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Project Preschool Model, a program of the National Assault Prevention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Findings demonstrated a high capacity for young children to acquire basic and concrete abuse prevention strategies. Many young children knew some basic abuse prevention concepts and strategies, especially strategies pertaining to strangers. Less encouraging findings emerged in examining young children's responses to a bully scenario. While many children responded to this scenario with a CAP strategy at posttest, there was a strong tendency at both pretest and posttest for aggressive or violent responses. This suggested that attitudes toward the use of physical violence against peer adversaries are already firmly rooted in the minds of very young children. 17 references, 3 tables.