Publication Date

6-2017

Document Type

Article

Journal Article Version

Accepted Manuscript

Volume

26

Issue

5

Abstract

This article presents findings from an evaluation of a popular adult training program (Protecting God’s Children) used in Catholic institutions, including schools, churches, and social service agencies. The study explores knowledge and behavior change based on pretest/posttest questionnaires administered to over 500 adults and follow-up questionnaires sent six months after the training. The participants in the training were compared to a control group of adults who did not participate in the program. The results indicate that participants arrive at the training with fairly high rates of preexisting knowledge but that the program increases knowledge across demographic groups. Follow-up surveys suggest that the new knowledge is retained over six months. The study indicates that the program is associated with an increase in participants talking to their own children about child sexual abuse. Participants also report sharing information with other adults and monitoring behavior around children more closely.

Keywords

abuse knowledge, adult prevention training, child sexual abuse, evaluation, intervention, prevention behavior, sexual offending

Publisher Statement

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Child Sexual Abuse on 19 Jun 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10538712.2017.1328475

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