Integrative review addressing the effectiveness of child sexual abuse preventive interventions

Abstract

This integrative review addresses primary prevention programs to prevent child sexual abuse focusing on children and adolescents and professionals. We used PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Scopus, and PsycInfo, with the following keywords:"personal safety education" or "protective behaviors" or "personal body safety" or "child assault prevention" or "protection education" associated with the term "child sexual abuse". Sixteen trials were included, nine interventions addressed children and adolescents, and seven, adults. The preventive interventions implemented among children and adolescents improved self-protection behaviors and knowledge regarding child sexual abuse. However, the interventions aimed at adults presented methodological variations that hinder generalization of the results.