Abusive Situations Research Articles

Physical abuse by staff and co-residents of older people and people with intellectual disabilities

Summary Physical abuse in care settings is a social problem with detrimental effects for residents, but effective prevention is dependent on staff reporting. In Sweden, designated officials, commonly social workers, are required to investigate reports of mistreatment. The aim of this study was to analyze what designated officials considered serious in reported incidents of physical abuse in two different care settings: care for older people and care for people with intellectual disabilities. Similar cases of physical abuse were chosen to demonstrate differences between judgments and provide a picture of how designated officials judge the relative seriousness of abusive situations. Interpretative content analysis and analytic induction were used to analyze reports of staff-to-resident abuse and resident-to-resident abuse in the two care areas. Findings There were no differences between incidents described as serious and those described as non-serious. Resident-to-resident abuse was the most commonly reported incident, particularly in dementia care and care for people with intellectual disabilities, and was rarely considered serious. Older people in dementia care were the highest risk group. In staff-to-resident abuse, staff were singled out as scapegoats. Organizational issues, rather than the details of abusive incidents, guided investigators’ judgments of seriousness. Tendencies to normalize violence and apply a narrow understanding of violence were found in the investigator’s judgments, particularly in resident-to-resident abuse. Applications Safeguarding adults from physical abuse in institutional settings is dependent on staff reporting and thorough investigations. This study shows that more training in assessing violence for social workers investigating reports is needed.

#WhatWouldYouDo? A cross-sectional study of sports medicine physicians assessing their competency in managing harassment and abuse in sports

ObjectivesTo assess the clinical competence of sports medicine physicians to recognise and report harassment and abuse in sports, and to identify barriers to reporting and the need for safeguarding education.MethodsWe...

Between a rock and a hard place: domestic abuse and being a migrant woman in England and Wales

Legal responses to domestic abuse have been a political priority of the UK Government since at least 2010, eventually leading to the passing of the seminal legislation in this area for England and Wales, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. However, the exclusion of protection for migrant victim-survivors with precarious immigration statuses under the Act demonstrates a failure in understanding that the experience and risk of domestic abuse differ for these individuals from that of the mainstream, due to their intersectional identities as (predominantly) migrant women. Many migrant victim-survivors still find themselves trapped in abusive situations, as the law fails to safeguard their rights to reside legally should they choose to present themselves to authorities by reporting their abuse. A distinct lack of acknowledgment as to inequalities faced by those at the intersection of migrant status and gender (Crenshaw, 1989; 1991) has led to increased insecurity for some of the most vulnerable. This article shines a light on this discrimination under the law in England and Wales. It adopts an intersectionality framework to examine such inequality, analysing Appendix Violence Domestic Abuse and the Migrant Victim Domestic Abuse Concession in UK immigration law, as well as the Support for Migrant Victims Pilot and its relevant Evaluation Report, against the international standards of the Istanbul Convention. It argues that the UK Government is failing to tackle the problem of migrant victim-survivors’ protection concerning domestic abuse, and in some situations, has made it worse.This article aims to state the law as of 1 May 2024.

Between faces: childhood adversity is associated with reduced threat-safety discrimination during facial expression processing in adolescence

BackgroundChildhood adversity has been associated with alterations in threat-related information processing, including heightened perceptual sensitivity and attention bias towards threatening facial expressions, as well as hostile attributions of neutral faces, although there is a large degree of variability and inconsistency in reported findings.MethodsHere, we aimed to implicitly measure neural facial expression processing in 120 adolescents between 12 and 16 years old with and without exposure to childhood adversity. Participants were excluded if they had any major medical or neurological disorder or intellectual disability, were pregnant, used psychotropic medication or reported acute suicidality or an ongoing abusive situation. We combined fast periodic visual stimulation with electroencephalography in two separate paradigms to assess the neural sensitivity and responsivity towards neutral and expressive, i.e. happy and angry, faces. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the impact of childhood adversity on facial expression processing.ResultsSixty-six girls, 53 boys and one adolescent who identified as ‘other’, between 12 and 16 years old (M = 13.93), participated in the current study. Of those, 64 participants were exposed to childhood adversity. In contrast to our hypotheses, adolescents exposed to adversity show lower expression-discrimination responses for angry faces presented in between neutral faces and higher expression-discrimination responses for happy faces presented in between neutral faces than unexposed controls. Moreover, adolescents exposed to adversity, but not unexposed controls, showed lower neural responsivity to both angry and neutral faces that were simultaneously presented.ConclusionsWe therefore conclude that childhood adversity is associated with a hostile attribution of neutral faces, thereby reducing the dissimilarity between neutral and angry faces. This reduced threat-safety discrimination may increase risk for psychopathology in individuals exposed to childhood adversity.

Female firefighters' experiences of discrimination and harassment: Implications for institutional gender policy

Women in uniformed professions, including firefighters, are at high risk of being victims of institutional discrimination and sexual harassment. The aim is to describe the occupational, social, and psycho-emotional experience of female firefighters in Chile in situations of discrimination and harassment in the organization and formulate guidelines for creating institutional gender policies. Data collection was carried out through three focus groups. Eleven female firefighters participated. The information obtained was analyzed through content analysis, forming four themes. Difficulties were identified in women doing their jobs as firefighters. Simultaneously, the presence of situations of gender discrimination and institutional sexual harassment were identified, which causes emotional exhaustion in female firefighters. Our results highlight the need for effective implementation and dissemination of institutional policies that protect female workers from abusive situations. Guidelines are proposed for the development of such institutional policies.

Public Perception Towards Drug Abuse in South Korea: The Effects of Overconfidence and Affirmation.

The abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines has been a major issue addressed as a serious public health problem worldwide. This study explored factors contributing to substance abuse in Korea by examining the status of substance abuse among Korean adults and evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and intentions toward substance abuse. Data were collected online from a sample of participants 19 years old or older from May 20 to June 1, 2020 (n=1,020). The survey consisted of questions on demographics, perceptions of drug risk, motives for drug use, and attitudes toward drug addiction treatment. Principal component and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to explore the factors contributing to the perception of drug abuse. In the multivariate regression analysis, overconfidence in handling drug usage, acceptance of addictive substances, and affirmation of public support for drug abuse were associated with opioid abuse (Nagelkerke R2=0.486), and additionally affirmation of legal cannabis usage and motivation to use diet pills were associated with diet pill abuse (Nagelkerke R2=0.569). The findings of this study suggest that the actual situation of substance abuse among Korean adults increases awareness of and attitudes toward drug use related to substance abuse.

Instrument to evaluate the perception of abuse and/or disrespectful treatment during childbirth: A validation study

AimTo design and validate a tool to assess a woman's perception of whether she has experienced a situation of abuse or disrespect during childbirth attendance: “Childbirth Abuse and Respect Evaluation-Maternal Questionnaire” (CARE-MQ). MethodsMultidisciplinary panel of experts (gynecologists, midwives, mothers) participated in creating CARE-MQ. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 901 Spanish women who had given birth between 1 and 3 months before to determine psychometric characteristics. Finally, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and a convergent validity study were carried out with the Quality Questionnaire from the Patient's Perspective-Intrapartum (QPP-I), and a reliability study using internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and coefficient of intraclass correlation (CCI). FindingsThe KMO test gave a value of 0.935, and Bartlett's sphericity test was <0.001. The EFA identified four components (“Emotional Abuse”, “Inadequate Professionalism”, “Physical Abuse” y “Lost contact”) that explained 55.16 % of variance. In the CFA, a good fit was observed for most of the evaluated indicators. CARE-MQ correlated negatively with QPP-I (Spearman's rho = −0.641, 95 % CI: −0.679, −0.600; p < 0.001) and was statistically associated with variables related to childbirth experience (p < 0.005) such as the use of a birth plan, use of regional analgesia, type of birth, episiotomy, presence of severe tears, skin-to-skin contact, length of hospital stay and postpartum surgical intervention. Cronbach's α value was 0.903. The ICC of absolute agreement after administering the questionnaire one week after was 0.927 (95 % CI: 0.85–0.97). ConclusionsCARE-MQ is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate the perception of a woman regarding the situation of abuse and/or disrespect that she may have experienced during birth in a population of Spanish postpartum women.

Travmaya Bağlı Yaygın Kaygı Bozukluğunda Bilişsel Davranışçı Terapi: Olgu Sunumu

A study was conducted based on the DSM5-DSM4 diagnostic criteria of trauma and generalized anxiety disorder. It is the emergence of generalized anxiety disorder of past trauma in future life events due to the occurrence of a traumatic event due to the occurrence of an abusive and unexpected sudden shocking situation. It is a case report of a traumatic event in the past life experience of the client, which is effective in preventing daily life functions such as anxiety, overwhelm, stress, worry, difficulty in focusing, irritability and restlessness that occur in the future life of the client. The client voluntarily applied to a psychologist. Considering the symptoms experienced by the client, the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy was revealed with the emergence of negative automatic thoughts by taking into account the stress, anxiety-reducing technique of the client's cognitive behavioral therapy school. CBT worked with the client once a week with a session duration of 50 minutes. Keywords: Cognitive behavioral therapy, Trauma, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Perceptions and Responses of High School Students to Sexual Abuse

The study aims to assess high school students' awareness and responses to sexual abuse. Survey data were collected from 1,182 high school students at several schools in Hanoi. The results indicate that, in general, high school students have a certain level of knowledge about abusive behaviors and correctly perceive the perpetrators of such acts. However, a significant portion of students still have misconceptions about abusive behaviors and inappropriate attitudes towards sexual abuse. The study also highlights students' reactions in various sexual abuse situations.

Establishment of a mouse model of yin deficiency syndrome by prednisolon

Background: We are conducting the project “Establishment of a mouse model of yin deficiency syndrome by prednisolone” due to the need to establish a mouse model to simulate yin deficiency syndrome and the actual situation of glucocorticoid abuse causing many complications, which, from the perspective of traditional medicine, are manifestations of yin deficiency syndrome. Materials and methods: In mice, establish a model of yin deficiency syndrome with prednisolone. Subjects and methods: We randomly divided four groups of healthy male Swiss albino mouse strains: a control group that drank distilled water, and three groups that took prednisolone doses of 0.5 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg, and 15 mg/kg from day 1 to day 14. After stopping the drug, we continued to monitor the mice for an additional seven days. We monitored some primary yin deficiency symptoms, such as weight loss, tidal fever, dry thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and weakness, by recording data on body weight, food weight, water weight, urine weight, and rectal temperature measurements every day from day 0 to day 21. We also measured mouse activity on days 0, 7, and 14. Results: Taking 15 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg of prednisolone changed things like the ratio of food intake to body weight, the ratio of water intake to body weight, the ratio of urine weight to body weight, and the afternoon rectal temperature compared to the control group on days 4 and 9; mouse activity compared to the control group at day 7 and day 14. Taking 15 mg/kg of prednisolone also caused unstable yin deficiency symptoms, just like taking 2.5 mg/kg of prednisolone did with the same parameters. Conclusion: We recorded the onset of yin deficiency symptoms in Swiss albino white mice treated with 2.5 mg/kg of prednisolone on day nine, as well as the duration of symptom maintenance after stopping prednisolone for one day. Key words: Yin deficiency syndrome, mouse model, prednisolone

Options and Paths for Breaking the Deadlock over the Veto Power of the Permanent Members of the Security Council

The veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council has always been a topic of intense discussion, and its historical and complex characteristics mean that it cannot be easily resolved. Veto reform proposals for permanent members of the Security Council have been floating around the international community, but no real changes have been made. Based on the background of the veto, the current situation of the veto abuse, the reform of the veto mechanism, the increase of permanent seats, and the establishment of the monitoring mechanism, this paper makes a critical analysis of the Security Council and puts forward suggestions for reform. This paper proposes the second negative, international organizations as individuals to enter the UN Security Council and so on, which provides a new way of thinking for the reform of the Security Council. The purpose is to promote the fairness and justice of the Security Council, meet the vital interests of more countries, and enable the Security Council to better perform its duties and maintain peace and security of the international community.

Does implying peer knowledge during an interview promote truthful disclosures from peer disclosure recipients and witnesses?

We tested a novel implied peer knowledge paradigm in which both child witnesses and child recipients (children who previously received a disclosure from a witness) were able to infer, with varying degrees of saliency, the likelihood that an adult interviewer would hear about a negative transgression from a peer and adjust their disclosure strategy accordingly. We tracked children’s disclosures (N = 418; aged 6-12 years; Mage = 8.91 years, SD = 1.37) across two interviews and found that providing a verbal notice of implied knowledge to child disclosure recipients (not child witnesses) that a peer who had previously disclosed to them would also be talking to an adult increased their disclosure rates. This study adds to a small body of work examining patterns of disclosure transmissions from witnesses to peers to adults, which is frequently observed in situations of child sexual abuse.

Intimate partner violence in lesbian couples: A systematic review on the barriers to seeking help

The process of seeking help for violence in lesbian couples is complex due to the variety of factors and actors that can be involved. It is a process in which the women may or may not take action to ask for some kind of support, depending on the stage at which they find themselves. However, even though women may realise that they are in a situation of mistreatment or abuse in their relationship with their partner or ex-partner, there may be barriers that hinder them from seeking help. This paper presents a systematic review of the barriers that lesbian women encounter in seeking help or accessing support systems when they are victims of intimate partner violence. Out of 139 studies reviewed, 120 were selected for further review, and 8 studies meeting the methodological inclusion criteria were finally selected. The results of this research show that psycho-social and legal barriers exist, which, within a system of oppression – heterosexist society – do not occur in isolation, but are inter-related, making it difficult for lesbian women victims of intimate partner violence to seek help or access support services. This review finds limitations in the literature reviewed and makes recommendations for future research.

Accessibility of intimate partner violence-related services for young women in Spain. Qualitative study on professionals' perspectives.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common among young people, but the use of IPV resources among young adult women and teenagers is limited. This study aims to analyze professionals' perceptions about the main barriers and facilitators encountered by young women (16-29 years old) exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) when accessing formal services in Spain. Qualitative study based on 17 in depth interviews carried out in 2019 with professionals who manage resources for IPV care in Madrid (Spain) from different sectors (social services, health care, security forces, women or youth issues offices, associations). A qualitative content analysis was conducted. The professionals interviewed perceive the following barriers: 1) Time it takes for young women to recognize IPV because the social construction of sexual-affective relationships is permeated by gender inequality; 2) The process of leaving a situation of abuse; 3) Barriers inherent to IPV services. The key aspects to improve access to these resources are related to care services, professional practice, and the young women themselves. There are both psychosocial barriers, derived from the process of leaving a situation of violence, as well as structural barriers for young women to access and properly use the recognized services specifically aimed at them or comprehensive IPV care. Services need to be tailored to the needs of young women so they can be truly effective in order to escape IPV.

Right to attention to sexuality for people with mental disorders: bridges between health and social services

IntroductionThe expression of sexuality in the adult with mental disorders depends on the early incorporation of factors for promoting social inclusion. It is fundamental that sexual educators and advisors, in addition to working with the clients, also work with close family members. Intervention programs should establish objectives for developing a positive attitude towards sexuality in people with mental disorders and improving self-esteem (Katz G,Salud Publica Mex. 2008;50 Suppl 2:s239-54).ChallengeAchieving support for people with mental health problems and/or substance use disorder admitted to the Social Rehabilitation Process of a psychiatric hospital so that they develop their sexuality satisfactorily. The right to privacy must be taken into account.ObjectivesPromoting a healthy and satisfactory development of sexuality in people with severe mental disorders. Raising awareness among healthcare teams, families and legal representatives regarding the need and suitability for support. Introducing the concept of sexuality as a dignifying perspective. Promoting sexual education that avoids disadvantages and situations of abuse in the target group. Coordinating the continuity of the project with non-health social services after discharge.HypothesisPossibility of receiving support in the development of sexuality through training, information and improvement in the management of emotions/feelings in people who express the need or willingness to receive it, will contribute to overcoming limitations or difficulties.MethodsDetecting people who during 2021 wish to work on the objectives through the care team. Searching for community resources aimed at attending sexuality issues in people with mental health problems. Proposing the hospital a collaboration with a non-profit entity that develops a specialized program for attention to sexuality in disability. Coordination between Treatment team and Entity. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of one year of experience according to the parameters of the entity.Results2022People includedPercentage of people admittedto the Income Unit (65)Detection concern sex-affectivity 57,69%Verbalized concern34,61%Referral to the entity program23,07%ConclusionsAll patients included have a diagnosis of psychosis. Experience was very positive for the participants. Community intervention projects that lead to an education in healthy and respectful relationships in the field of sexuality and affectivity are necessary. This would allow to prevent behaviours and situations at risk of abuse as well as social and emotional instability.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Art therapy/occupational and play therapy: plastic expressiveness as a means of reducing loneliness, anxiety, sadness – research carried out during the period 2008-2022 with the theme: creation in / with elements from nature at the placement center

IntroductionOccupational therapy - which also includes art therapy - is an activity/test with a purpose, it involves coordination between the sensory, motor, cognitive, and psychosocial systems of the individual. “Sciences recognize the role of observation in research… All artists who practice art therapy are based on their own artistic activity and present a common recurring feature: they are always in line with “essential pragmatism”. (McNIFF, Shaun, Trust the process: an artist’s guide to letting go. Creative ability. Psychological aspects. Self-actualization (Psychology). Artist-Psychology, Shambhala Publication, Boston, 1998, p. 78)ObjectivesWe seek to find new development solutions through stimulation, creativity, catharsis, and socialization to be authentic, spontaneous, feel fulfilled, emotionally balanced, and transformed, with the aim of fulfilling one’s social role through contact with human and environmental factors. (Emilia Chirilă, ART THERA PY IN EMOTIONAL DISORDERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, printed edition 2018) ISBN 978-973-0-27683-1)MethodsThrough the graphic gesture, the child expresses various issues related to his feelings, like the search for his identity, the generated anxieties, the family and professional environment, and the situations of neglect and abuse. (MALCHIODI, Cathy A, Handbook of Art Therapy, The Guilford Press, New York and London, 2003, p. 157).ResultsThe following reactions can be identified: aggression, frustration, dominance tendency, low self-esteem, fraternal rivalry, hopelessness, sadness, compensation mechanisms, self-defense, other significant psycho-traumatic aspects. The disappearance of frustrations and negative feelings due to the disinterest of parents who do not visit the beneficiaries was achieved by gaining authority over the environment and by improving pre-existing skills. emotional disorders of children and adolescents” - Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry of Children and Adolescents from Romania - 2012 - vol. 15 - no. 3- p 121-136 - ISSN (printed): 2068-8040)Image:Image 2:Image 3:ConclusionsThrough the creative process and symbolic communication, associated with narration and imitation, we realize the development of outstanding and hidden abilities, we develop new ways of communication, new ways of self-expression, and new ways of seeing things, to increase the ability to face existential problems.(2018 Emilia Chirilă - Art therapy in emotional disorders of children and adolescents: “Festina lente - Hurry slowly!” Harmonizing the rhythm with those around us ,print edition, ISBN 978-973-0-27683)Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Childhood and adolescent schizophrenia and networking

IntroductionReviewing the histories of patients with childhood and adolescent schizophrenia, on numerous occasions, traumatic factors with great emotional and social impact are observed, such as situations of mistreatment, abuse and emotional deprivation, where help is requested but resources are scarce and the approach is limited without work in network.Objectives1. Analysis of the consultation pathways in adolescents with severe psychiatric and socio-familial symptoms and the time delay in optimal guidance. 2. Evaluate the services involved. 3. Evaluate the clinical control of treatment with aripiprazole.MethodsRetrospective observational analysis, 5 months, of prodromal symptoms of childhood psychosis and help-seeking pathways in a 13-year-old adolescent, as well as a description of the pharmacological approach and professional teams involved.ResultsA 13-year-old adolescent who went to the emergency room with her mother for ingesting anti-cockroaches with self-inflicted intent. Reviewing his medical history, 4 serious autolytic gestures were detected in the last 2 months. Referred to Mental Health who did not attend.On clinical examination, florid psychotic, with perplexity, self-reference, ideation of harm, language and behavioral disorganization. Auditory and kinesthetic hallucinations. A situation of neglect of the minor and abuse by the parents is detected; the risk had not been previously reported. Oral aripiprazole (up to 15 mg/day) was prescribed with good tolerance and progressive improvement in symptoms.We worked jointly with Social Services, the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office, Education and the hospital Psychiatry unit. In some of the resources the situation was already evident, the scope of their action was limited and delaying attention for months.ConclusionsBased on cases like this, we ask ourselves if psychiatrists are sensitized to the comorbidity of serious mental pathology and the existence of risk situations in minors and if they are oriented toward multiprofessional management. Networking provides us with an early diagnosis, improving the therapeutic approach.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The effectiveness of school-based child sexual abuse prevention programmes among primary school-aged children: A systematic review

This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of child sexual abuse prevalence globally, along with an examination of the effectiveness of school-based prevention education programmes for primary school-aged children. These prevention programmes utilise social cognitive learning theories to teach children the importance of identifying and responding to abusive situations. A total of 676 papers were evaluated with 13 Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) or cluster RCT design studies identified as meeting the study's inclusion criteria. These studies were published in English between January 2000 and May 2022, and focus on outcomes of school-based prevention programmes designed for primary school-aged children (5–12 years old). To ensure a comprehensive and academically rigorous analysis, the following databases were included: Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, and Embase. The studies reviewed aim to evaluate the effectiveness of various child sexual abuse prevention programmes in improving children's knowledge and recognition of, and response to potentially unsafe situations. In terms of outcomes and results, the interventions have significantly impacted knowledge, skills, confidence, and awareness in the short and long term. These studies used different intervention methods, including mobile applications, personal safety programmes, and protective behaviour programmes, delivered in various formats such as web-based, textbooks, and in-person sessions. This systematic review highlights the importance of child sexual abuse prevention programmes in schools and the need for further research.

Modeling the propagation of internal thermal runaway in lithium-ion battery

The trend toward high capacity and huge size in lithium-ion batteries has made it necessary to investigate the internal thermal characteristics. In this study, a thermal runaway model was developed to describe lithium-ion batteries' internal thermal characteristics. Moreover, triggering energy was proposed as a critical feature for evaluating and characterizing the thermal runaway under diverse thermal abuse situations, with large differences among characteristic temperatures. Finally, the effects of battery configuration on thermal runaway behaviors were investigated. The modeling results showed that internal temperature distribution can be divided into four characteristic stages with two jelly rolls, and the application of more numerous and thinner cells inside a battery can accelerate the propagation of thermal runaway. The experimental results showed that the ratio of triggering energy of self-heat onset to total self-heat generation remained consistent in an adiabatic environment. The mean value of the ratio was 24.5%, indicating that lithium iron phosphate batteries obtain most of the energy (generally 80%) from internal exothermic reactions during adiabatic thermal abuse. The triggering energy of thermal runaway remained constant when various heating powers were applied to one of the batteries' laterals (about 20.8% of theoretical energy contained inside lithium iron phosphate batteries). Triggering energy can provide new insights into the modeling of thermal runaway mechanisms and propagation.

Teaching Sexual Abuse Prevention Skills to Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Introduction: When individuals are not aware of the nature and scope of behaviors related to sexual abuse, they may face the risk of abuse. Individuals with intellectual disabilities may also experience abuse, just like other individuals. Raising awareness through education is the most important measure to prevent sexual abuse. The skills individuals use to prevent sexual abuse are very important and functional especially for individuals with special needs so that they can spend their lives independently and safely. Method: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the curriculum developed in line with the cognitive process approach in helping people with intellectual disabilities to acquire the skill of sexual abuse prevention. The study was designed with the multiple probe model across participants, one of the single-subject research methods, and baseline, instruction, probe, and generalization phases were used. Three 12–14-year-old female students with intellectual disability were included in the study. An instructional program based on the social decoding, social decision making/deciding, social performance, and social evaluation stages of the cognitive process approach was prepared to teach the target skill to the participants. The program made use of stories about sexual abuse situations and how to avoid these situations, as well as pictures depicting these stories. Participants were taught three prevention skills to avoid sexual abuse: "saying no", "getting out of the environment", and "telling what occurred to someone they trusted”. Findings: At the end of the study, it was concluded that the developed instructional program was effective in helping three female students in acquiring the sexual abuse prevention skills. This effect can be explained both by the increase in the data collected during the teaching process and by the fact that the probe data collected at the end of the instruction were higher than the probe data collected before the instruction. Discussion: The findings obtained from the research were discussed in the light of the studies in the literature and suggestions were made for further studies.