An Evaluation of the “I am Learning to Protect Myself with Mika” Program Using the “What If” Situations Test

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite the recent development of a plethora of child sexual abuse prevention programs in recent years, few studies have attempted to evaluate their effectiveness using a standardized measure. Therefore, we attempted to test the effectiveness of the “I am learning to protect myself with Mika” program using a valid and reliable tool: the “What If” Situations Test (WIST). Eighty-one preschool children and their parents and teachers participated in this study. Ultimately, we compared the data of 43 children (M = 66.78, SD = 8.84) in the intervention group and 38 children (M = 69.28, SD = 6.78) in the wait-list group. The findings revealed that the intervention group had increased knowledge of inappropriate touching recognition and personal safety. The say, tell, report, and WIST total skill scores also increased in the intervention group. These findings are promising and may pave the way for disseminating the program in Turkish preschools.