Children's Knowledge of Sexual Abuse Prevention in El Salvador

Abstract

BackgroundChild sexual abuse (CSA) remains a global health problem that must be addressed. In a country with limited resources such as El Salvador, we sought an alternative way to disseminate CSA prevention information to elementary school children. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention exhibit at a children's museum. MethodsWe asked 189 children to answer a questionnaire about CSA prevention before entering a museum exhibit on the subject and then asked 59 different children to answer the questionnaire after visiting the exhibit. FindingsChildren's knowledge scores on CSA prevention significantly improved after visiting the exhibit (P < .012). ConclusionsA museum exhibit that addresses CSA prevention is an effective way of communicating CSA prevention to children.